Liquor Code Revised, Officers Honored

Amidst much back-slapping and congratulating, the Northfield Village Board voted unanimously Tuesday to replace the liquor code in its entirety with an updated version.

"I'm excited about it because I think it's going to strengthen our community," President Fred Gougler said of the now-revised Chapter 16 of the village code. The new version was an attempt, spearheaded by Village Attorney Everette Hill, to simplify city ordinances.

“This is something we’ve been working on for months now,” Hill said. “[Home rule] gave us a lot more flexibility to deviate from the statute with respect to liquor licensing and control.”

Hill presented some of the major changes, which included:

• Clearer definition of terms
• Regulation in the body of the code, not the terms
• Rules for private parties with caterers or bartenders
• Changes to the license classifications
• Ability to temporarily operate (with strict controls) while background checks are being done and paperwork is being cleared
• Consistent opening and closing times for establishments serving alcohol
• Stiffer penalties for not calling law enforcement in the event of a fight
• Fake identification: The burden of proof will be on the licensee to make sure IDs aren’t false

At that time, the board also heard comments from the public, which it later incorporated into the final version, which can be found its August informational packet. 

"There were a number of comments made in July, and those have all been incorporated in this draft," said Village Manager Stacy Sigman. "Attorney Hill has done a great job. 

Sigman clarified that there will be no changes to the fees because rates will remain the same. "It's just reorganization," she said.

The board also recognized Sgt. Gerald McCulloh, Cpl. Mike Hutensky, Officer Kevin Tierney, and Communications Officer Dina Ketzeback for their "quick response and lifesaving efforts on May 30, 2011."

"A car had rolled over into a ravine, and the driver was submerged underwater," Police Chief Bill Lustig said in a statement. "Their actions, including performing CPR and setting up oxygen, led to the driver, who had previously been unresponsive and had no pulse, being revived and breathing on his own." 

In other business, trustees took advantage of their home rule powers and voted to allow the hiring of police officers from other municipalities, should the need arise. 

"If you have good, qualified transfers [from other communities], it generally saves the village a whole lot of money," Sigman said, explaining that it can take up to a year after a cadet's graduation from the police academy before he or she is ready for action.

The board also welcomed Steve Gutierrez, the new community development director, and congratulated him for his first week on the job.

 "We're excited to have you here," Gougler said. "There's a lot to do."

"It seems like a community that's really vested in moving forward and improving itself," said Gutierrez, who has 22 years of municipal service under his belt, primarily in River Forest. "I'm really looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and helping the board achieve those goals."

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