Downtown Liquor Subcommittee/
Liquor Subcommittee

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Mission
Focus of the Subcommittee
Subcommitee Membership
Meeting Information
Meeting Agendas and Summaries 
Background Information

Current News

The Liquor Subcommittee met three times in September and October (meeting summaries posted below) to prepare recommendations for City Council to “recommend code modification(s) to maintain a healthy, balanced environment in downtown” and “remove barriers for B Licenses.”  The Liquor Subcommittee recommendations will be presented to City Council on November 1, 2011.

 Mission

The Downtown Liquor Subcommittee discusses amendments to the liquor code to differentiate between and provide regulations for various types of downtown liquor establishments in an effort to achieve a balanced retail and entertainment environment, as recommended through Naperville Downtown 2030. 

Focus of the Subcommittee

The Downtown Liquor Subcommittee’s discussions will focus on the following areas:

Consideration of Potential Liquor Code Amendments:

• Percentage of food vs. liquor sales
• Consideration of highest customer traffic times
• Caps for downtown restaurants with liquor licenses (including geographic concerns)
• Differentiations between liquor license types by establishment characteristics (e.g., menu, patrons, location and size of bar and on-site entertainment)

City Involvement in Downtown Restaurant Concerns:

• Review of items that are of concern (e.g., impact on city services, infrastructure, daytime uses, culture, etc.)
• Determine those that merit additional city funding to address

Subcommittee Membership

Per City Council direction, the Downtown Liquor Subcommittee will be composed of the following representatives:

• 2 City Council representatives
• 1 Downtown Advisory Commission representative
• 2 Liquor Commission representatives
• 2 Downtown Restaurant Operators
• 2 Downtown Property Owners (non-restaurant affiliated)
• 2 Residents

Each subcommittee member noted above has the responsibility of representing the perspectives and concerns of their respective organizations. All subcommittee recommendations will be forwarded to the City Council for a final recommendation. If endorsed, implementation of the subcommittee’s recommendations will occur through future code amendments or policy changes prepared by staff and reviewed and approved by the City Council. 

On August 16, 2011 the Naperville City Council directed that the Downtown Liquor Subcommittee be reconvened as the Liquor Subcommittee to discuss potential  modification to the Class B Liquor License requirements.  Two new members from the Naperville Restaurant Association will join the subcommittee.

Meeting Information

On August 16, 2011 the Naperville City Council directed that the Downtown Liquor Subcommittee be reconvened as the Liquor Subcommittee to discuss potential  modification to the Class B Liquor License requirements.  City Council requested this action be completed within 60 days.

Meeting Agendas and Summaries

Following are the Downtown Liquor Subcommittee meeting agendas and summaries.

Background Information

At a December 17, 2009, joint meeting of the Downtown Advisory Commission (DAC) and the Liquor Commission, commission members agreed that there are two main issues to address to ensure that liquor does not negatively impact Downtown Naperville: (1) work to maintain a mix of uses that add vibrancy to the downtown and (2) strive for downtown tenants that accommodate both day and night time customers. At the conclusion of the meeting, Mayor Pradel noted the importance of an ongoing dialogue regarding this issue and the need to continue working in partnership to maintain Downtown’s culture. The joint committee’s findings on liquor (as noted above) have been reflected in the draft Naperville Downtown2030 document.

In March 2010, the City Council approved the FY11 Strategic Plan Initiatives (SPI). SPI #17, listed under Downtown & Riverwalk, pertains to the downtown restaurant/bar mix. Specifically, this SPI directs staff to “analyze the restaurant and bar mix in the Downtown and consider corresponding amendments to the Liquor Code.”

Staff’s first work item related to SPI #17 was a survey sent to the City Council, DAC, and Liquor Commission in November 2010 to more specifically define challenges with the current liquor code and potential solutions. Staff tabulated the 19 survey responses received to determine consensus issues. 89.5% of survey responders indicated their interest in forming a subcommittee to review potential options to address the consensus survey points. 

On January 18, 2011, City Council concurred with the survey findings and directed discussion of potential liquor code amendments to a Downtown Liquor Subcommittee for review and recommendation to City Council. The subcommittee’s primary goal will be to discuss amendments to the liquor code to differentiate between and provide regulations for various types of downtown liquor establishments in an effort to achieve a balanced retail and entertainment environment as recommended through Naperville Downtown2030.