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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Jennifer Stallings, City Clerk
DATE: October 29, 2024
SUBJECT:
An Ordinance Amending Chapter 6 of the Code of Ordinances, Specifically Sec 6-5 Application for License, Sec 6-7 Term of License; Renewals and Sec 6-20 Manager, Officer or Ownership Change.
PURPOSE:
To remove the requirement that location managers of liquor licensed businesses submit to fingerprints/background checks and update fingerprints/backgrounds every three (3) years.
BACKGROUND:
Chapter 6 of the code of ordinances and the Illinois Liquor Control Act identify specific criminal violations that preclude persons from acting as owners, officers or managers of a liquor licensed business. The Illinois Liquor Control Act gives each municipality the authority, if they choose, to conduct fingerprinting to screen potential and current owners, officers and managers for prohibitive offenses but does not require a municipality to fingerprint/background check applicants. While there is significant value in obtaining fingerprints/background checks for owners and officers of applicants and license holders every three (3) years, it has been brought to our attention that the requirement that managers obtain fingerprints/background checks is an expensive, time-consuming and unnecessary process for some business owners who are liquor license holders in Aurora and it was requested that we review our policy with regard to managers.
DISCUSSION:
From the licensee perspective, this policy can be expensive and duplicative if they also conduct their own pre-employment background check prior to employing managers. It appears a background check through a licensed agency for our liquor licensing purposes may cost approximately $65.00 (to meet the City requirement) in addition to any costs incurred in obtaining a background check for their own purposes. The argument has been made that the requirement for all managers to obtain fingerprints/background checks every three (3) ...
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