Illinois Liquor Control Commission met Jan. 18.
Here are the minutes provided by the Commission:
Call the Roll:
Chair Berg called the meeting to order at 1:02 p.m.
Present
Melody Spann-Cooper Remote
Thomas Gibbons Commissioner
Julieta LaMalfa Commissioner
Pat Pulido-Sanchez Commissioner
Steven Powell Commissioner
Brian Sullivan Commissioner
Cynthia Berg Chair
ILCC Staff Present:
Lisa Gardner Executive Director
Dusanka Marijan Licensing Administrator
Faheem Murad I.T.
Noel Quanbeck General Counsel
Nicole Sanders Industry Education
Avi Zisook Legal
Rick Haymaker Legal
Dean Argiris Acting Commission Secretary
II. Motion to Allow Commissioner Spann-Cooper to Participate Remotely
A motion was made by Commissioner Powell and seconded by Commissioner Gibbons to permit\ Commissioner Spann-Cooper to participate remotely.
Thomas Gibbons Yes Melody Spann-Cooper Yes
Julieta LaMalfa Yes Brian Sullivan Yes
Pat Pulido-Sanchez Yes Steven Powell Yes
Cynthia Berg Yes
III. Approval of Minutes
A motion was made by Commissioner Spann-Cooper and seconded by Commissioner Gibbons to approve the minutes of December 14th, 2022 ; the motion passed.
Thomas Gibbons Yes Melody Spann-Cooper Yes
Julieta LaMalfa Yes Brian Sullivan Yes
Pat Pulido-Sanchez Yes Steven Powell Yes
Cynthia Berg Yes
IV. Resolution Honoring the Life of Les Peterson
Commissioner Powell made a motion to have a resolution honoring the life of ILCC Chief Enforcement Officer Les Peterson read into the record. Commissioner LaMalfa seconded the motion.
Thomas Gibbons Yes Melody Spann-Cooper Yes
Julieta LaMalfa Yes Brian Sullivan Yes
Pat Pulido-Sanchez Yes Steven Powell Yes
Cynthia Berg Yes
Commissioner Powell asked that the resolution be ceremonially printed and provided to Chief
Peterson’s family.
V. Executive Director’s Report
Fiscal
The Illinois Liquor Control Commission totaled $351,980 in revenue for December with 76% coming from licensing and 24% coming from enforcement.
12% decrease from November of 2022 and an 87% decrease from December of 2021.
This is the lowest revenue generating month that the ILCC has seen since our separation from the Department of Revenue.
The decrease is contributed to the 1A (retail license) fee waiter and the license renewal extension, which ended in December of 2022.
Human Resources
We are prepared to post eight (8) enforcement trainee positions in the following areas: Southwestern Cook County, Eastern DuPage County, Eastern Lake, Downtown (Spanish Speaking), West-Central Cook, Ogle, Adam, Lakeview, Irving Park, and Wrigleyville.
Currently, the ILCC is conducting interviews for the paralegal assistant position, as well as the legislative liaison position.
Our agency received 218 applications for the Chicago Licensing Assistant position and we are currently in the process of reviewing those applications.
Licensing
Currently, there are 31,118 active licenses throughout the state and 2,163 total licenses were issued in the month of December. Of those 318 of those are new licensee.
We issued 3,626 special event permits in 2022.
For the ILCC Delinquency list, 1,098 retail licensees were reported delinquent and 1,014 delinquencies were cured. These figures include rollovers from the previous month.
IT has finished the enhancements to the ILCC licensing dashboard. Now licensees automatically see their license number on the dashboard.
Enforcement
The ILCC’s enforcement division conducted 1,124 inspections, discovered 489 violations. 218 of these inspections were pre-licensing inspections.
Enforcement reports that the most common violations found were: 1.) Personnel not being BASSET certified, 2.) Pregnancy warning signs not being properly displayed, 3.) State Liquor License not being properly displayed, 4.) Contaminated liquor being found, and 5.) Pre-mixed cocktails not being disposed of weekly.
Our office received 62 complaints in December through our normal channels with the most common complaints being 1.) sale of alcohol to minors, 2.) operating without a license, and 3.) retail-to-retail sale of alcohol.
The ILCC, in partnership with the Fayette, Madison, and Knox Counties, conducted an Underage Compliance detail. 19 establishments were checked and 4 failed.
Legal
The legal division currently has 42 pending cases: 9 Distributor cases, 27 retailer cases, 6 sale of alcohol to minor cases, and legal closed 85 cases in December 2022.
28 Pre-Disciplinary Conference cases are in the pipeline with legal and 25 were conducted for the month of December.
We have 6 sale-of-alcohol to minor cases pending before the Commission. 5 of those cases are first-time offenders.
20 appeals cases are also pending before the Commission, not counting cases that are up for Administrative Review.
Our office received 17 FOIA requests.
Industry Education
Our BASSET program will be out in the field soon to do presentations across the state.
We continue to see organic growth on social media and our podcast on Unruly Patrons is up on Spotify.
4th Quarter newsletter should be out by the end of the day.
IV. Partner Presentations
Mary-Beth Collins from the National Association for Children of Addiction spoke to the Commission about its mission, operations, and goals.
V. Public Comment
No public comment was given.
VI. Executive Session
Commissioner Powell made a motion to move the ILCC into Executive Session at 1:37 p.m..
Commissioner Sullivan seconded the motion.
Thomas Gibbons Yes Melody Spann-Cooper Yes
Julieta LaMalfa Yes Brian Sullivan Yes
Pat Pulido-Sanchez Yes Steven Powell Yes
Cynthia Berg Yes
VII. Regular Session
The Commission moved back into regular session at 2:20 p.m.
Present
Thomas Gibbons Commissioner
Julieta LaMalfa Commissioner
Pat Pulido-Sanchez Commissioner
Steven Powell Commissioner
Melody Spann-Cooper Remote
Brian Sullivan Commissioner
Cynthia Berg Chair
VIII. Appeals
In the mater of 19 APP 19 ( Great Food & Spirits v. Mattoon), Commissioner Powell made a motion to affirm the decision of the Local Liquor Control Commission. Commissioner Sullivan seconded the motion.
Thomas Gibbons Yes Melody Spann-Cooper Yes
Julieta LaMalfa Yes Brian Sullivan Yes
Pat Pulido-Sanchez Yes Steven Powell Yes
Cynthia Berg Yes
A motion was made by Commission LaMalfa and seconded by Commissioner Powell to deny a petition for rehearing in the case of 22 APP 01 (Coach House v. Cook County).
Thomas Gibbons Yes Melody Spann-Cooper Yes
Julieta LaMalfa Yes Brian Sullivan Yes
Pat Pulido-Sanchez Yes Steven Powell Yes
Cynthia Berg Yes
In the case of 22 APP 07 (CSWS, LLC v. Bedford Park)¸ Commissioner Gibbons made a motion to affirm the decision of the locals. Commissioner Powell seconded the motion.
Thomas Gibbons Yes Melody Spann-Cooper Yes
Julieta LaMalfa Yes Brian Sullivan Yes
Pat Pulido-Sanchez Yes Steven Powell Yes
Cynthia Berg Yes
IX. Tax Cases
23-CR-0028 – Durkins Tavern
23-CR-0031 – Cucina di Rosa, LLC
23-CR-0033 – Drunken Barrels Pub, LLC
A motion was made to revoke the licenses with immediate effect, by Commissioner Powell and seconded by Commissioner Sullivan; the motion passed unanimously.
Thomas Gibbons Yes Melody Spann-Cooper Yes
Julieta LaMalfa Yes Brian Sullivan Yes
Pat Pulido-Sanchez Yes Steven Powell Yes
Cynthia Berg Yes
X. Comments from the Board
Commissioner Powell asked what the proper process is for hiring a replacement for the late Les Peterson.
Supervisor Kenny Williams said he will be fulfilling Les’s duties in an unofficial capacity until H.R. goes through the appropriate processes.
Commissioner Gibbons mentioned that the hearing room should have a television facing the audience so that they can see the presentation.
Secretary Argiris and I.T. Manager Faheem mentioned that was in the works and it is going through DoIT and CMS to acquire the equipment and installation.
XI. Closing Remarks and Adjournment to Hearing
Commissioner Powell made a motion to adjourn and was seconded by Commissioner Sullivan.
Thomas Gibbons Yes Melody Spann-Cooper Yes
Julieta LaMalfa Yes Brian Sullivan Yes
Pat Pulido-Sanchez Yes Steven Powell Yes
Cynthia Berg Yes
The meeting adjourned at 2:24 p.m. CST.
https://www2.illinois.gov/ilcc/Divisions/Meeting%20minutes/ILCC%20Commission%20Minutes%20January%2018%202023.pdf#search=minutes
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