Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham said he and his staff have taken a close look at the city’s liquor code since last summer, and he plans to make changes.

They will be thorough, deliberate and inclusive, he said.

With the current ordinance being “extremely long,” as well as “hard to understand and apply,” Cunningham said he plans to work with members of the City Council and key city personnel to streamline the laws surrounding alcoholic beverages.

“These Issues touch on public safety, fairness in how licenses are issued and enforced, conflicting language from many decades of amendments, and outdated language from the state liquor code and other unnecessary language,” he said.

Cunningham announced his plan to overhaul Waukegan’s liquor code at the start of a City Council meeting on Monday at City Hall and create an ordinance appropriate for the 21st century.

Since the start of the century, and particularly with the coronavirus pandemic, Cunningham said practices began to change for those in the bar and restaurant business. The code needs to be modernized to reflect current times.

“The business environment today is far more dynamic and diverse,” he said after the meeting. “Before, liquor licensing largely focused on traditional bars and restaurants with predictable operating models.”

Restaurants and bars initially closed during the pandemic. Cunningham said when they were allowed to reopen, they made changes to let people eat and drink safely. Some of those modifications, like expanded outdoor dining, remain. Operating hours changed, and there are more special events to attract patrons.

“Operators now place a higher value on speed, clarity and predictability in regulations,” the mayor said. “The ordinance needs to reflect this reality while still maintaining accountability and public safety.”

After Ald. Jose A. Guzman, 2nd Ward, joined the council after the 2023 election, each time a vote was taken on a liquor license, he left the room and did not participate. At the time, he had a liquor license because he operated Dockside Dogs at the lakefront during the summer.

A state law prohibits elected officials in cities the size of Waukegan from holding a liquor license. He said at the time he was not aware of the law when he was elected. The following spring, he did not renew the license. He said at the time there was an economic impact.

“I dropped the liquor license and stopped selling alcoholic beverages because serving the public is more important right now,” he said at the time. “They should change the law, because it keeps a lot of people out of public service.”

Some changes to the liquor laws were made piecemeal, like an effort in 2018 to keep gas stations from selling alcoholic beverages. Ald. Edith Newsome, 5th Ward, was then a member of the council. She said at a 2024 Committee of the Whole meeting, a separate class of liquor license was created and no more would be issued of that sort.

As ownership of those gas stations with a permit to sell liquor changed or the business closed, Newsome said the intent was that the license would cease to exist and eventually the practice would disappear.

Though Cunningham has not yet said what changes should be made — he wants to work closely with council members and city personnel to determine which alterations should take place — he said he can think of a number of potential modifications.

Initially, Cunningham said the city incorporated the state liquor code into the city’s ordinance. Each time the state made a change, the city had to do the same. Removing the need would be a good idea, he said. In addition, he said, requiring a potential business owner to estimate annual sales before opening is burdensome.

The current code requires a seating chart and a planned menu, which the city must approve. Cunningham also suggests changing the provision requiring a staff handbook, or limiting a bar to 50 seats regardless of its size.

If one of several owners of a business with a liquor license changes, the current law mandates a new license. Cunningham said he is not sure a new license should be required in such cases. He would also consider changing the requirement for a background check for veterans organizations or cultural clubs.

Cunningham said the process of getting an application should be streamlined. Redundant information in both a business and a liquor license is unnecessary. Making an applicant go to multiple departments for approval is also onerous, he said.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/04/waukegan-city-council-liquor-licenses/