Belleville DDA looks into liquor licenses for new bars

Alicia McGovern, chairperson of the Belleville Downtown Development Authority, told the DDA at its Oct. 20 in-person meeting that four new liquor licenses are needed for the development in the 500 block of Main Street.
She said she didn’t want the property owners to own the new licenses and be able to take it elsewhere.
Mayor Kerreen Conley said four liquor licenses were allocated to the city by population size in 2011.
Belleville Deputy Administrator Tim McLean told of the law on liquor licenses and provided a printout on Redevelopment Liquor Licenses (through Public Act 501 of 2006) that allows the Liquor Control Commission to issue public on-premise licenses in addition to those quota licenses allowed.
He said he will continue his research into the provisions and will report back to the DDA.
These licenses go back to the local unit of government when the recipient leaves the community.
DDA member Jennifer Winter, who owns Egan’s Pub, said that is why she bought her own liquor license so, if she decided to leave the community, she could take her license with her.
In other business at the Oct. 20 meeting, the DDA:
• Unanimously approved hiring Deputy City Administrator McLean as DDA Coordinator at pay of $29,200 annually to the city, which covers an estimated 40% of his city time spent on DDA matters, retroactive to July 5. This will be evaluated in a year. The coordinator position has been vacant since May and since that time the city administration has been carrying out the functions of that position. McGovern said she has been meeting with him on Fridays to discuss DDA matters;
• Set a strategic planning session for Saturday, Dec. 18, with a consultant, at a time and location to be announced. McLean had suggested Dr. Lewis Bender, PhD, who he said he had used in Gibraltar. He said Dr. Bender had lots of experience in team building and would cost a minimum of $3,000. McLean said he could get bios and prices of others;
• Directed McLean to get a price from Davenport on fixing the streetscape walls where rocks have fallen, damage to the fence in front of Mr. Muffler, and other details that need fixing. Councilman Ken Voigt said there is a streetlight in front of Hayward’s that has had no globe in it for one or two years;
• Reviewed McLean’s report that said he is looking into polo shirts with the DDA logo for board members to wear at public events, working at creating an annual calendar of 2022 DDA events, establishing a DDA page for social media sites, looking into estimated costs for seasonal or part-time DPW employees to do maintenance in the DDA district, and looking into programs and pricing for a potential GIS system for the city;
• Heard City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson report that his No. 1 complaint to his office has been the condition of the parks and maintenance of the streetscape. He said at the last DDA meeting the Northville DDA lady stressed maintenance and Chief Robinson agreed saying Belleville has failed to maintain the parks and streetscape. He said he wants the parks to look like Disneyland and the DPW can’t stretch far enough, with all the jobs they have to do and it will take more people. He said he is working on a wish list for the federal infrastructure grant and looking at using COVID funds to completely refurbish Victory Station to have it used as a senior center in the daytime and counseling at night. He also is looking at updating the water system; and
• Heard Diedre Rivera-Creal say she was present representing the Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce and reported Winterfest “is a go” and added there is time for the DDA to be a part of it. She asked about the Booville sign and the scarecrows which weren’t up yet. McGovern replied that the Booville replacement sign had been ordered and the scarecrows are being put up. She said the DDA should have gotten the notice out sooner on the scarecrows. McGovern said the DDA has a lot of organizing to do.