While the Highland Park City Council expanded liquor licenses at Wednesday night’s council meeting, the body remains gridlocked on amending part of that same code which bars liquor permit holders from elected office and law enforcement positions.
The law only recently came to the attention of Highland Park officials and the public, forcing one councilmember to choose between his position on the council and his business operation. Since then, members of the public, restaurant organizations and business owners have voiced their disapproval of the council’s reluctance to amend the law.
Since January, city staff and the council have been making amendments to various sections of the liquor code, creating more permit classifications for businesses — such as spas, boutiques, golf facilities and hotels — to sell alcoholic provisions as an ancillary use.
Some of those amendments and new classifications were approved at Wednesday’s council meeting.
“It’s the balance of the expansion of business with the further muffling of voices, and I find that very disturbing,” Councilmember Annette Lidawer said at Wednesday’s meeting.
Lidawer attempted to refer the vote on the liquor ordinance to the next council meeting on April 24, to have the council review the city’s liquor code holistically and hopefully amend the provision that limits who can hold licenses.
“Big picture, we do want to increase opportunities for businesses,” she said. “But what this also does is we’re going to bring in a new class of permit-holders, and all of them will still be subject to section 119.320, the section that does not permit a liquor license holder to serve as a council member or mayor.”
Amending the liquor license holder restrictions, Lidawer said, would make the city more “inclusive” and expand business participation further, rather than “comparing liquor license holders, who undergo deep scrutiny, to felons.”
Lidawer’s motion to refer the ordinance was rejected in a 4-2 vote, with only Councilmember Andrés Tapia joining Lidawer.
“It seems that we’re crosscurrents,” Tapia said. “On the one hand, we are making things more streamlined, more business-friendly, more liberalized. … At the same time, we keep holding on to something that many of us believe is archaic and not relevant.”
City Manager Ghida Neukirch informed the council the ordinance on Wednesday’s agenda was for two businesses that were awaiting the council’s action to expand the code.
Councilmember Anthony Blumberg said the passing of the liquor ordinance was an “urgent matter” for the two businesses, and that the question of whether a liquor license holder can serve as an elected official is, “not an emergency.”
“There is urgency with regard to the amendment, too,” Lidawer said. “In addition to hurting our community on a daily basis, our business-friendly image to the outside world, we are also hurting the councilmember who is not sitting next to me today.”
‘A massive outcry’
The permit provision that prohibits elected officials from holding liquor licenses was first on the council’s agenda in February, after the code was brought to the attention of city staff regarding Jeff Hoobler’s position on the council.
Hoobler, who was elected in 2023, is also the co-owner of Ravinia Brewing Company, a local brewery in the Ravinia neighborhood district of Highland Park.
The pub also faces a trademark infringement lawsuit from the Ravinia Festival Association. In a recent response complaint filed by the craft brewery in the U.S. District Court of Northern Illinois, the local pub denies all allegations brought forth by the music venue.
In February, a motion to amend what some call an “archaic” law was rejected in a tie vote by the council, with the three votes against amending coming from Mayor Nancy Rotering, Blumberg and Councilmember Kim Stone.
Since the amendment was denied, Hoobler publicly announced his intent to resign from the council on April 30, at the advice of his legal counsel. However, Rotering said the resignation letter is not valid without notarization.
Prior to the February meeting and since, the city has received an overwhelming number of public comments on the issue, with the majority supporting an amendment. Only a handful supported the council’s action not to amend the code.
“This was virtually unanimous that people wanted to see an amendment,” Lidawer said. The councilmember said she has received “a massive outcry” of nearly 200 emails supporting an amendment.
During public comment Wednesday night, a handful of people asked again for the council to consider amending the law. Some said that they didn’t understand what public or legislative purpose the law as written served.
In an email statement following the meeting, Rotering said the law prevents conflicts of interest and ensures “impartial decision-making.”
“By enforcing this requirement, we affirm that decisions made by officials are in the best interest of the community, rather than influenced by personal business interests,” Rotering wrote. “It promotes fairness, transparency and accountability in governance, safeguarding the integrity of our democratic process and maintaining public trust in government.”
The Illinois Restaurant Association wrote a letter to the City Council, urging the elected members to reform their law. The letter was read to the council Wednesday by Judy’s Pizzeria owner William Abonce. A group of Highland Park restaurants, businesses and individuals also wrote a similar letter to the council last month.
“Our Association believes that a restaurant owner with a liquor license must be given the same rights to serve the community as other business owners, and the ordinance should be amended accordingly,” the letter said. “Amending the ordinance would benefit the public at large by allowing broader participation in local government.”
The license holder law that’s on the books in Highland Park comes from a post-Prohibition Illinois law.
But in 2001, the state amended the clause to allow liquor licenses for elected officials and law enforcement in cities with a population of 50,000 or less. In 2013, it was amended again for populations of 55,000 or less. State law also specifies that liquor establishments by elected officials or law enforcement must also have a food service.
Since the state’s amendment, municipalities in Illinois have changed their local laws, including at least eight cities near Highland Park, such as neighboring Highwood, according to a 50-city study conducted by Highland Park’s corporation counsel.
Lidawer said she plans to continue to raise the liquor lawholder amendment at the next council meeting on April 24.
chilles@chicagotribune.com
