MONROE - Alcohol licenses still appear difficult to get in the City of Monroe, despite the fact that Common Council has enacted new codes that make a few more licenses available.
Santos Tinoco, Monroe, was granted a Class A license to sell packaged fermented malt beverages, only after Mayor Ron Marsh voted in favor of the granting, to break a tie vote at the Common Council meeting Tuesday.
Tinoco and his wife, Maribel, own Beracruz, a grocery store in Monore.
His license is only the second Class A Fermented Malt Beverages license granted in the city; Kwik Trip, Inc. holds the first one.
Six other retailers in Monroe hold Class A Liquor and Fermented Malt Beverages licenses. City codes limit the total number of premises with Class A licenses to 12.
Alderman Mark Coplien spoke against granting the license in Council, saying he was "uncomfortable" that the Tinocos have only one operator's license.
"With these licenses, I'd like to see a minimum of two operators," he said. "It only makes sense to make Santos get a second operator's license."
Under Wisconsin law, a holder of an operator's license must be present to oversee the sale of alcohol.
Marsh said he voted to grant the license, "only in the fact that rules, as set currently, do not require two operator license holders at the same time."
Coplien attempted to stop the granting of the license by addressing the License Committee meeting prior to the Common Council.
Coplien told committee members he knew Tinoco, and described him as "very ambitious" and a "good guy," and expressed admiration for trying to run a business.
However, Coplien said Tinoco had opened his store in 2007, and knew that he had "got trapped and stuck and couldn't get back in to the U.S.," about a year or two ago.
"When we created these licenses, we agreed we be very responsible with these. I'd like to see a longer history wit his store. Two years is not enough," he said.
"Doesn't it concern you, Thurston, that there wouldn't be two licensed operators on the premises," Coplien asked License Committee Chairman Thurston Hanson.
Hanson said he also knew the Tinocos. Hanson is the aldermen for Ward 6, the downtown district where the store is located. He said he liked that they will have the beer cooler next to the cash register, and will have the stock stored in a closed separate back room.
"Always, he or his wife is at the register," Hanson said.
When asked by Coplien, Police Chief Fred Kelley said he had not had any disturbance calls to the store
Tinoco told the committee that his wife is getting her own operator's license, and had references from previous employers on his own application.
"I pay taxes like everybody else does, and I am helping the town," he added.
Tinoco later told The Monroe Times that he had worked for Coplien for about two months.
Many of his customers looking for Mexican beers will drive to Beloit and bring cases of it back to Monroe, he said.
"Now they can spend their money here," he said.
He also said Mexico would not allow him back into the U.S. until he had paid a debt incurred in connection with the death of his father and the property he owned.
Alderman Charles Schuringa made the motion to send the committee's recommendation to Council, with a contingency that if something goes wrong, the license would be "yanked."
But City Clerk said the license holder would still need a hearing at the committee level before a license can be rescinded.
Hanson seconded the motion, after alderman Charles Koch refused, to get the issue to Council.
Koch had been voting against granting many liquor licenses, especially temporary ones, on the principal that too much alcohol is being served in Monroe.
"I don't think we need another alcohol outlet in the city. Alcohol has become too much of a social hang-up ... and we need to start limiting it," he said.
At Common Council, members Neal Hunter, Paul Hannes, Coplien, Jan Lefevre, and Koch, voted against granting the license; Aldermen Keith Ingwell, Hanson, Dan Henke, Kent Kallembach and Schuringa voted in favor.
Santos Tinoco, Monroe, was granted a Class A license to sell packaged fermented malt beverages, only after Mayor Ron Marsh voted in favor of the granting, to break a tie vote at the Common Council meeting Tuesday.
Tinoco and his wife, Maribel, own Beracruz, a grocery store in Monore.
His license is only the second Class A Fermented Malt Beverages license granted in the city; Kwik Trip, Inc. holds the first one.
Six other retailers in Monroe hold Class A Liquor and Fermented Malt Beverages licenses. City codes limit the total number of premises with Class A licenses to 12.
Alderman Mark Coplien spoke against granting the license in Council, saying he was "uncomfortable" that the Tinocos have only one operator's license.
"With these licenses, I'd like to see a minimum of two operators," he said. "It only makes sense to make Santos get a second operator's license."
Under Wisconsin law, a holder of an operator's license must be present to oversee the sale of alcohol.
Marsh said he voted to grant the license, "only in the fact that rules, as set currently, do not require two operator license holders at the same time."
Coplien attempted to stop the granting of the license by addressing the License Committee meeting prior to the Common Council.
Coplien told committee members he knew Tinoco, and described him as "very ambitious" and a "good guy," and expressed admiration for trying to run a business.
However, Coplien said Tinoco had opened his store in 2007, and knew that he had "got trapped and stuck and couldn't get back in to the U.S.," about a year or two ago.
"When we created these licenses, we agreed we be very responsible with these. I'd like to see a longer history wit his store. Two years is not enough," he said.
"Doesn't it concern you, Thurston, that there wouldn't be two licensed operators on the premises," Coplien asked License Committee Chairman Thurston Hanson.
Hanson said he also knew the Tinocos. Hanson is the aldermen for Ward 6, the downtown district where the store is located. He said he liked that they will have the beer cooler next to the cash register, and will have the stock stored in a closed separate back room.
"Always, he or his wife is at the register," Hanson said.
When asked by Coplien, Police Chief Fred Kelley said he had not had any disturbance calls to the store
Tinoco told the committee that his wife is getting her own operator's license, and had references from previous employers on his own application.
"I pay taxes like everybody else does, and I am helping the town," he added.
Tinoco later told The Monroe Times that he had worked for Coplien for about two months.
Many of his customers looking for Mexican beers will drive to Beloit and bring cases of it back to Monroe, he said.
"Now they can spend their money here," he said.
He also said Mexico would not allow him back into the U.S. until he had paid a debt incurred in connection with the death of his father and the property he owned.
Alderman Charles Schuringa made the motion to send the committee's recommendation to Council, with a contingency that if something goes wrong, the license would be "yanked."
But City Clerk said the license holder would still need a hearing at the committee level before a license can be rescinded.
Hanson seconded the motion, after alderman Charles Koch refused, to get the issue to Council.
Koch had been voting against granting many liquor licenses, especially temporary ones, on the principal that too much alcohol is being served in Monroe.
"I don't think we need another alcohol outlet in the city. Alcohol has become too much of a social hang-up ... and we need to start limiting it," he said.
At Common Council, members Neal Hunter, Paul Hannes, Coplien, Jan Lefevre, and Koch, voted against granting the license; Aldermen Keith Ingwell, Hanson, Dan Henke, Kent Kallembach and Schuringa voted in favor.