Drinking into the early hours of the morning may be a thing of the past in Alton.
The city council’s Committee on the Whole voted 5-2 Monday to end allowing liquor sales until 2 a.m. on weekdays and 3 a.m. on weekends. The committee is made up of all the aldermen to discuss issues before meeting as the full council.
“I feel lucky that a town as small as Alton has those businesses,” said Martha Pfister, the alderwoman who sponsored the change. “My hope is creating a more welcoming environment that will, in the long run, in the big picture, be beneficial for everyone.”
The city council, which is scheduled to meet Wednesday night, will have the final say and is expected to ban the late night licenses, which 13 businesses currently utilize, according to the city. Sales would end at 1 a.m. under the proposal.
A handful of local bar and restaurant owners and employees in the Metro East community spoke passionately against the measure before the committee on Monday night.
“We stand to lose $100,000 annually, which is not sustainable,” said Keith Hall, a co-owner of Danny’s Lounge, a bar in downtown Alton. “What a shame to lose our historic establishment after we put our hearts and souls into it.”
But some city council members and the mayor believe the liquor sales after 1 a.m. have fueled drunken behavior in Alton’s downtown and cutting the hours bars are open could curb crime.
“The City of Alton has developed a reputation as a late-night party destination,” Mayor David Goins said in a statement ahead of Monday night’s meeting. “While vibrant entertainment is part of our community’s charm, the associated activities and behaviors are harming our city’s reputation and safety.”
“I understand their concerns about potentially losing any hours of business each day,” Goins continued. “However, the costs of maintaining late-night liquor licenses — both financial and to our community — are too high. It’s not just about additional policing costs; it’s about safeguarding our citizens, protecting our city’s reputation, and securing the future of Alton, a community I’ve proudly called home my entire life.”
The idea to abolish late night sales has been a subject of debate in Alton for a couple of months. The committee first discussed changing the city’s ordinance in August, ultimately deciding to table the vote until Monday night.
Owners and employees of local businesses said that sales after 1 a.m. have accounted for sizable portions of their revenue and eliminating them could lead to their closures.
Even if the businesses do stay open, the staff may pay the price for losing out on some of the most profitable hours for liquor sales in an industry reliant on tips, they said.
“Those few hours make the difference between getting by and falling behind,” said Michelle Oerter, a bartender at Danny’s. “In this economy, that lost income would be devastating.”
The Illinois Licensed Beverage Association, a Springfield-based group that advocates for businesses that sell alcohol, wrote a letter to the city council, saying it would harm businesses, reduce municipal revenue and create a competitive disadvantage with towns like Godfrey and Wood River.
“Should Alton reduce its hours, late-night patrons, and their spending, will simply migrate to these neighboring communities,” executive director Keith Wetherell wrote. “The result is not improved safety or community well-being; it’s the export of Alton’s nightlife economy and a self-inflicted blow to the city’s competitiveness.”
In response to problems after 1 a.m., the city revoked the late-night licenses for two establishments this summer, and two others also agreed to close at 1 a.m. The city also increased policing in downtown.
The Alton Police Department has filed four reports in downtown Alton between July 22 and Oct. 2, and none of them involved violence, according to the Alton Telegraph.
Many from the service industry who were critical of the proposal passed believed the existing efforts had already solved many of the problems.
“The reality is this proposed step is blaming a whole industry on the actions of a few,” said Mike Klasner, owner of Bubby and Sissy’s, an Alton bar. “This is a perfect example of an overreaction.”
Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine said, while pulling the licenses and current policing efforts have made a difference, the extra effort isn’t sustainable, and it could become cyclical.
“It repeats, and it repeats. At some point, the city council — and I think this is the point — would need to step in to end that cycle,” said Haine, also an Alton resident. “Why? Because it's a very, very dangerous cycle, and it's also preventing our downtown from developing in other ways.”
If approved, the change would become effective on Dec. 31 just before midnight.
