Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Alcohol in the news; Champaign council dissolves liquor advisory commission

From the News-gazette

Champaign council dissolves liquor advisory commission

You may remember from yesterday, it was possible it would happen, it did.

CHAMPAIGN – The city's liquor advisory commission is no more, after the city council Tuesday night unanimously voted to dissolve the group.

Following the vote, Mayor and Liquor Commissioner Jerry Schweighart said the commission meets infrequently and has become irrelevant, but he promised to keep the local alcohol industry informed of city liquor policies.

Nice of him to promise to keep the alcohol industry informed.

The liquor commissioner will now keep in direct contact with liquor industry leaders, often via e-mail, so individuals will receive information at the same time, Schweighart said. He added that one of the problems with the commission was that advisers were not reporting back to their constituents.
Who are liquor industry leaders?

Also in the Daily Illini

Champaign City Council dissolves liquor commission


Champaign City Council members voted unanimously in favor of an ordinance removing the city’s Liquor Advisory Commission from the city’s administration at their meeting on Tuesday night.

While the ordinance passed unanimously, there was some discussion before it went up for vote.

Council member Deborah Feinen said she got a call on the way to the meeting from someone who asked if it was possible for such a commission to continue but only meet once or twice a year.

Mayor Gerald Schweighart said the city will continue to correspond with liquor license holders, only without a specified liquor license commission.

“I just would like to state that I do appreciate their service to the city, and it’s just reached a time when I think we can safely close this without a negative effect,” Schweighart said.

The commission was composed of nine members, including representation from the Illinois Student Senate, the University’s administration and liquor license holders in the Campustown area.

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