New Joliet proposal opens liquor and gambling to all gas stations

The city now plans to make on-site liquor consumption and video gambling available to every gas station in Joliet.

The Joliet City Council Land Use and Legislative Committee on Thursday recommended approval for the latest proposal aimed at solving a legal dilemma stemming from what was viewed as a one-time deal for a Thorntons station in 2020.

Joliet now generally prohibits liquor sales at gas stations.

The proposal that will go to the full City Council for final approval on Tuesday would create two licenses: one allowing for the sale of beer and wine for on-site consumption with video gambling; the other would allow for packaged sales of beer and wine.

Sales of hard liquor would not be allowed at gas stations.

“That was part of the compromise,” Assistant City Attorney Chris Regis told the committee.

The city developed the new licenses after the Illinois Liquor Control Commission ruled in favor of Terry Lambert’s Mobil station, which had been turned down when seeking the same license given to Thorntons. The commission ruling would provide Lambert’s with a Class A license allowing for the sale of hard liquor.

Instead, Lambert had been ready to accept the new BG license allowing for video gambling with beer and wine sales. But the council at its May 18 meeting tabled a vote on the new license structure seeking another alternative.

The proposal on May 18 was to limit the number of BG licenses to two – one for Lambert and one for Thorntons.

Lambert’s attorney since has said he could get a court order to force the city to issue the Class A license allowing for hard liquor sales in light of the state commission ruling.

The committee met in closed session before the vote to discuss litigation.

City Attorney Sabrina Spano suggested to the committee that the full council meet in closed session to discuss litigation again before it votes Tuesday on the proposed licenses.

During discussion before the committee vote, Councilman Joe Clement said he and others had hoped to come up with an alternative proposal when tabling the previous vote.

“I don’t see any other (alternative) than what we’re talking about,” Clement said.

The new proposal does push back the time of day when on-site consumption at a gas station can start from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. It would allow for the sale of packaged liquor at 6 a.m., the same hour allowed at liquor stores.

Several gas stations already are seeking the BG license allowing for video gambling and on-site consumption.

One of those, the BP station at 1415 Plainfield Road, was represented at the committee meeting by Michael Mikuska, who told the committee it would be unfair to limit the number of licenses to two.

Mikuska after the meeting said gas stations are not necessarily going to serve beer and wine on-site but need the consumption license according to state law to get video gambling .

“We just want video gaming,” Mikuska said. “We have no obligation to pour (drinks).”