Damakant Jayshi
Wausau will summon the owner of Campus Pub for a hearing on revoking or suspending the tavern’s liquor license, after a Public Health and Safety Committee vote on Monday.
The hearing, unless a change is made, is set for Jan. 22, with the City Council taking it up the matter the following month. The tavern’s owner, Kevin Steinke, will be served with a summons before the hearing date.
Wausau Pilot & Review reported in October that the Class B Beer & Liquor license for Campus Pub, 110 W. Campus Dr., was renewed but not actually issued after the Wisconsin Dept. of Revenue placed a hold for an outstanding debt. The Wausau Police Department closed the pub on June 30.
The license revocation process began after a complaint was filed with the City Clerk’s office by email.
Steinke was not present at the meeting on Monday. He also skipped the committee meeting in October to consider an extension request from him, during which he could have shared a plan for clearing the hold and reopening the business. The committee denied the extension request after his non-appearance.
The city’s attorneys told Wausau Pilot & Review in October that typically, it is a police officer who is a city resident filing such complaint. The complaint was not in the public meeting packet and a request by Wausau Pilot for a copy has not been acknowledged as of Tuesday morning.
Committee Chair Lisa Rasmussen said on Monday that under the city’s abandonment ordinance, the liquor businesses must be open and stay open and use the license that they have been issued.
“If it’s found that they are not and there’s no plan for them to reopen and stay open, the city has the option to issue the summons and hold a hearing and perhaps take back that license and offer it up to other business owners who may wish to try for it,” Rasmussen said.
On Monday, Rasmussen said Deputy Clerk Mary Goede has had a conversation with the pub’s owner on the possibility of surrendering his license but there was no willingness to cooperate. Once the revocation process begins and the license is revoked, Goede said in October, it would result in a hold on that location for six months and no one can have license during the period. The owner himself cannot have a liquor license for 12 months for the establishment.
The demand for liquor licenses in Wausau is high because the state limits the number that can be granted within each municipality. Reserve licenses are available, but they cost thousands, rather than hundreds, of dollars.
The Public Health and Safety committee voted unanimously on Monday to issue the summons to Steinke.
