By Andrea Arens
The Peotone Village Board unanimously approved a liquor license for the Corner Cafe, at 102 N. Second Street, at the September 11 board meeting.
The Corner Cafe intends to extend their hours and offer liquor to patrons. The license was approved pending provisions of the code are met and approval of the state liquor license. Administrator Aimee Ingalls said the establishment needs the local license in order to gather a state license and a gaming license. Ingalls also added than any establishment has to obtain a liquor license in order to acquire a gaming license.
Mayor Peter March confirmed Corner Cafe is not applying for a gaming license, at least not yet, but he assumed it was coming.
A representative from Corner Cafe was present, due to a death in the family, and said Corner Cafe intends to be open until 8 p.m. for dinner, while the recently enclosed patio addition would stay open until 1 or 2 a.m. for gaming.
Ingalls said the code would need to be reviewed to determine if the restaurant would need to remain open in order for gaming to be accessible.
Trustee Sandberg added, “We just recently voted down a gaming cafe.”
Last September, a proposed gaming cafe at 117 W. Main Street, which would serve sandwiches and offer gaming in the business, was denied when the motion to change the code to allow for two gaming cafes in town wasn’t seconded. Trustee Julie Sluis had motioned.
Trustee Gary Hudson said at the September 26, 2022, board meeting, “You seem like really cool people but, unfortunately, I’m not for this. I know there’s a lot of gaming that goes on, and it can be very entertaining. I feel like Peotone is saturated with gaming machines. In the downtown area, we’re getting ready to spend some money, and residents really want it to be more family friendly downtown, and this isn’t a step in that direction.”
After March assured the board this was just approval of the local liquor license at this time, it was unanimously approved.
A raffle license for a fundraiser held at Suzy’s Saloon was approved after the fact. The raffle license was applied for on August 28, the same day as the last board meeting but did not make that meeting’s agenda. Mayor Peter March pulled the item from the consent agenda to add comment that it was the second time the business had requested a permit too late to make the meeting agenda.
“I want it on record that in the future, we would like to have an actual opportunity to approve an event before the event actually happens,” said March.
The final invoice for the Railroad Street project, in the amount of $320,992.90, was approved with all trustees voting yes, except Sandberg who voted present. The Railroad Street project was approved by the previous board; Trustees Sandberg and Richards were newly elected in April, 2023.
Sandberg also voted present on the budget amendment to the Business Development District Fund for $321,000 for the final invoice Railroad Street project. The amount was not in the budget, and the funds would come from the Business Development District Fund.
A fence variance was approved for 243 Rathje Road. The property has a detention pond along the property line, and the fence variance requested would allow the fence to shorten the yard and place the fence on land and not in the pond.
The board also unanimously approved an agreement with B & F Construction Code Services for code review, plan review, and inspection services. B & F will replace Safebuilt as their contract was scheduled to increase this month.
Trustee Todd Sandberg is the husband of editor Andrea Arens. Any coverage of his activity is not an endorsement of such.