(A) No retail liquor dealer’s license shall be issued to:
(1) A person who is not a resident of the city;
(2) A person who is not of good character and reputation in the community;;
(3) A person who is not a citizen of the United States;
(4) A person who has been convicted of a felony under any federal or state law, unless the Local Liquor Control Commissioner determines, after investigation, that such person has been sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant the public trust;
(5) A person who has been convicted of being the keeper of or is keeping a house of ill fame;
(6) A person who has been convicted of pandering or other crime or misdemeanor opposed to decency or morality;
(7) A person whose license issued under this chapter has been revoked for cause;
(8) A person who, at the time of application for renewal of any license issued hereunder would not be eligible for such license upon a first application;
(9) A co-partnership unless all of the members of such co-partnership shall be qualified to obtain such license;
(10) A corporation, if any officer, manager or director thereof, or any stockholder or stockholders owning in the aggregate more than 5% of the stock of such corporation, would not be eligible to receive a license hereunder for any reason other than citizenship and residence within the political subdivision;
(11) A person whose place of business is conducted by a manager or agent unless the manager or agent possess the same qualifications required by the licensee except residency; provided that for persons requesting or holding a Class “A” license, such manager or agent shall reside in Belleville or within five miles of the city limits;
(12) A person who has been convicted of a violation of any federal or state law concerning the manufacture, possession or sale of alcoholic liquor subsequent to 2-6-1934, or shall have forfeited his or her bond to appear in court to answer charges for any such violation;
(13) A person who does not own the premises for which a license is sought, or does not have a lease therefor, for the full period for which the license is to be issued;
(14) Any law enforcing public official, Mayor or member of the City Council; and no such official shall be interested in any way, either directly or indirectly in the manufacture, sale or distribution of alcoholic liquor;
(15) Any person, association or corporation not eligible for a state retail liquor dealer’s license; or
(16) Any person, association or corporation operating or seeking to operate an establishment that derives more than 50% of its gross monthly revenues from licensed video gaming under the Illinois Video Gaming Act (230 ILCS 40/1 et seq.). At any time during a liquor license period or prior to the renewal of a liquor license, the Mayor may order the licensee to produce his, her or their accounting records to determine if the licensee remains eligible for a liquor license under this section. Ineligibility under this section, or the failure of the licensee to produce said records to the Mayor upon request, shall result in the automatic revocation of a liquor license.
(1960 Code, § 21-1-4)
(B) (1) No license shall be issued for the sale at retail of any alcoholic liquor within 100 feet of any church, school, other than an institution of higher learning, hospital, home for aged or indigent persons or for veterans, their spouses or children or any military or naval station; provided that, this prohibition shall not apply to hotels offering restaurant service, regularly organized clubs or to restaurants, food shops or other places where the sale of alcoholic liquors is not the principal business carried on; nor to the renewal of a license for the sale of retail of alcoholic liquor on premises within 100 feet of any church or school where such church or school has been established within such 100 feet since the issuance of the original license. In the case of a church, the distance of 100 feet shall be measured to the nearest part of any building used for worship services or educational programs and not to property boundaries. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Mayor may grant an exemption to the restrictions of this division (B)(1) consistent with § 6-11 of the Illinois Liquor Control Act of 1934 (235 ILCS 5/6-11).
(2) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the issuance of a license to a church or private school to sell at retail alcoholic liquor if any such sales are limited to periods when groups are assembled on the premises solely for the promotion of some common object other than the sale or consumption of alcoholic liquors.
(1960 Code, § 21-1-5)
(1960 Code, § 21-1-5) (Ord. 3175, passed 10-29-1973; Ord. 4101, passed 10-1-1984; Ord. 6772, passed 9-19-2005; Ord. 7784, passed 6-17-2014; Ord. 7886, passed 8-17-2015; Ord. 9040-2022, passed 5-2-2022; Ord. 9224-2023, passed 11-20-2023)