Plymouth senior center liquor license back on agenda

Plymouth aldermen on Wednesday will vote to uphold or override a veto by Mayor Donald Pohlman that denied granting a liquor license to the group that runs the city’s senior center, Generations.

The vote on will be the next step in a five-and-a-half-month long pursuit by the Plymouth Intergenerational Coalition to obtain the license, which center board members say will allow them to host events including weddings and reunions that will bring in much-needed revenue.

PIC’s original application for the license was denied by the Common Council in May. After a two-hour long appeal hearing July 29, aldermen voted 4-3 in favor of granting the license.

Then on July 31, Pohlman delivered his veto to Generations in person.

The Generations building hosts senior meal programs and other senior citizen activities, but is open to people of all ages and includes a daycare, kindergarten classrooms, Sheboygan County Headstart Program classrooms and an adult community center. The building is also used for Sunday church services, fitness classes and other recreational activities.

A two-thirds vote is required to override the veto, which means at least six of the eight aldermen on the Common Council will have to vote in favor of granting the liquor license.

In his correspondence regarding the veto, Pohlman outlined the council’s original reasons for the denial, one of which was that a license may not be issued for a premises in which the main entrance is less than 300 feet from the main entrance of a public school or church.

Other reasons included the belief that a liquor license would not be in keeping with the organization’s mission, concerns that the license would only be used occasionally, as well as a concern about monitoring the proposed licensed premises, as the space includes an area shared for children’s programming.

Ald. Greg Hildebrand, who voted against granting the appeal, said that the proximity of the children’s area to the proposed licensed premises was a big concern for him.

“There’s a balcony that the kids will look over right down into where everything is,” Hildebrand said. “There’s only one door between them.”

Before the appeal, PIC Executive Director Joann Wieland drafted a letter addressing the council’s reasons for the denial, saying the entrance to the child care area is on the second floor of the building and is well over 300 feet away from the main entrance.

Board members at the appeal hearing said that the building was purposely designed with movable walls and multiple entrances to be able to host events in the evenings and on weekends.

However, Pohlman cited an ordinance in his veto that states that “once a non-alcoholic event has commenced, no alcoholic beverages may be consumed, sold or given away on or carried into the licensed premises until the next day following the closing hours of the licensed premises.”

Some PIC board members and aldermen have said they don’t think that the ordinance should apply, as it was put in place to regulate non-alcohol events held for teenagers at bars years ago.

“They’re entitled to their opinion,” Pohlman said. “It’s an ordinance, simple as that.”

Ald. David Williams, who voted in favor of granting the appeal, said he has heard from many people that the use of alcohol was never mentioned when the Generations building was being designed.

“I’ve had many people, (who) were involved in the early stages of Generations, plus the city people who were there before I got on the council, (tell me) that utilization of an alcohol license was never mentioned,” Williams said.

Williams said since he cast his vote, he has been contacted by a number of people who are opposed to the license being granted.

“The main reason seems to be that they feel the facility by its nature should not be involved with the sale of liquor,” Williams said.

Hildebrand said he also considered the fact that the city only has one liquor license left to give out in his decision to deny the appeal.

“Generations needs the revenue, (but) what about the economics for Plymouth, giving out its last liquor license to a non-profit organization?” Hildebrand asked.

Pohlman said that issue is not something he factored into his veto.

However, Williams said it’s something he has thought about as well.

“Plymouth has just one existing alcohol license to give out and if we give it out to a non-profit, we then exclude any type of restaurant or bar coming into town that would be hiring employees and paying taxes and so forth,” Williams said.

Regardless of how they voted, both aldermen say they recognize PIC’s need for funding.

“It wasn’t an easy choice for me because I am concerned about the closeness of the children out there and several other things, but I thought well, let’s give them a chance,” Williams said. “If they can become financially stronger, then that’s good for the city of Plymouth and for Sheboygan County.”

Hildebrand said he does not want the Generations building to close, but thinks there are other funding options that need to be explored.

“I have nothing against the Generations building,” Hildebrand said. “ I just disagree with that liquor license.”

Aldermen will vote on overriding the veto at the next Common Council meeting at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13.

—Reach Jane Roberts at 920-453-5167.