Tightening requirements for entertainment at establishments with liquor licenses could save the village a number of future headaches, officials said.
Under a plan proposed by Mayor James Addington-who also is the village liquor commissioner-businesses that serve liquor must petition officials 30 days in advance if they want to have live entertainment. The plan also calls for new businesses seeking a liquor license and an entertainment permit to disclose specific entertainment plans, and anyone seeking a liquor license will have to be willing to subject all employees to a rigorous training program sponsored by the Westmont Police Department.
The plan would allow the village to weed out potential problems such as those they encountered with Capri 2000, a “gentlemen’s club” whose owners said during a liquor license hearing that they planned to feature an occasional pianist. The club later opened featuring scantily clad go-go dancers, although the village rescinded the club’s liquor license because of the owners’ misrepresentation and failure to follow code requirements.
The plan also would help screen for safety, Addington said. Knowledge of who plays where “will help us keep tabs on where the problems occur,” Addington said, while in-depth disclosure on permit applications will help police conduct more thorough background checks before permits are issued. The required bartender training also will help the village cut down on underage drinking, officials said.