The Park Ridge City Council recently heard a request from Farmers Market organizers to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages at the weekly market. Photo by Igor Studenkov | For the Bugle
Organizers cite Uptown businesses interest in the event
By Igor Studenkov | For the Bugle
The Park Ridge Procedures and Regulations Committee of the Whole is expected to consider whether to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages at Park Ridge Farmers Market – something that the municipal code currently prohibits.
During the March 21, Park Ridge City Council meeting, Farmers Market Committee members David Arena and Dianna Madigan requested the change. Several Uptown businesses that serve alcohol are interested in being vendors, and they wanted to expand what the market offers. As with any change in the municipal code, removing the prohibition will take several steps – with the Procedures and Regulations meeting being just the first.
The Farmers Market Committee was formed at the beginning of the year as part of the changes designed to bring it more in line with the Park Ridge city practices and procedures. The committee is responsible for choosing up to two Market Masters to handle most day-to-day aspects involved in running the market. It also sets the vendor permit fee and determines what requirements the vendors are subject to.
As Arena told the council, the committee is looking to expand what the market offers.
“One of our goals is to increase variety of attractions,” he said. “ We’re looking to maybe bring in a chef to do a meal or a dish with products in the market. And, in conjunction, maybe have Winestyles to do a wine pairing, or Beer on the Wall do a beer pairing.”
The two businesses are notable for serving alcohol as part of their experience – which isn’t, in on itself, necessarily alcohol-centric. Both are located in Uptown, within walking distance of the Farmers Market.
Madigan subsequently added that both businesses expressed interest in being vendors
As the city staff noted, removing the provision banning alcohol sales wouldn’t, in on itself, allow them to sell it. They would need to apply for a liquor license, just like any other organization that serves alcohol on its premises.
But before sending it to committee, Park Ridge Mayor Marty Maloney surveyed the aldermen to see if they would be interested in moving forward with the change. Ald. Marc Mazzuca (6th) said that he wanted to be careful
“I would be looking for something extremely narrow, a sampling sort of thing, as opposed to walking around with four ounces of beer,” he said.
Ald. Charlie Melidosian (5th) said he would be open to it, so long as there was “ at least in some moderation.”
The council ultimately agreed to discuss removing the ban during the April 23 Procedures & Regulations meeting. Maloney said that the Park Ridge Liquor Board of Review will consider it as well some time before then.
Pest control approved requirement for restaurants
Park Ridge City Council voted unanimously to give a final approval to an ordinance requiring city restaurants to hire an exterminator if fruit flies, cockroaches, rodents and other pests are found during a city health inspection.
The aldermen originally discussed the idea during the Jan. 22 Procedures and Regulations Committee of the Whole and the amendment cleared the committee during its Feb. 26 meeting. On March 19, the city council held the final reading, approving it as part of the consent agenda.
As Jim Brown, the Park Ridge Community Preservation and Development director, explained during the Feb. 26 meeting, many restaurants already hire exterminators when something turns up during inspection. The city was simply looking to cover the ones that normally wouldn’t – which, he said, was about 20 percent of all restaurants that fail inspection.
At the time, Ald. John Moran (1st) said that it made sense.
“Basically, if someone is responsible enough to take care of the problem on their own, there’s no requirement,” he said. “But if you’re proven that you can’t take care of the problem on your own, you have to hire someone.”
Under the new ordinance, if the restaurant fails inspection, its owner has to have the exterminator do the job by the date set by the Park Ridge Health Department. They would need to show proof that the job was complemented.
The new ordinance took effect immediately.