Illegal Liquor Sellers to Face Tougher Code

The City Council this week postponed a scheduled vote on a zoning amendment that would increase penalties on illegal liquor sales in order to make the amendment even tougher, officials said.

The code amendment, which was recommended last month by the city Planning Commission, was aimed at small markets and other businesses that sell alcohol without valid city permits.

Mayor Raul Godinez II said the council unanimously supported the effort to crack down on the rogue establishments, but felt that the amendment could be “fine tuned” to make it easier to enforce and more cost-effective for the city.

Instead of giving two warnings to illegal operators before charging them with a misdemeanor for a third violation, the council stated its preference for a system in which violators would be issued citations for the first two illegal sales and criminal charges on the third.

Under that system, Godinez said, the city would be able to recover costs associated with enforcement and make it immediately clear to violators that the city does not tolerate illegal sales.

“The three strikes approach is still in, but we wanted to fine them for each citation,” said Godinez, who predicted that the amendment would easily pass when it comes back before the council.

Councilwoman Joanne Baltierrez said that the council wanted to find the most efficient way to enforce the law.

“We’re going to have staff give us a couple of options on fines and then we will vote on it during the next session,” she said.

Jon Becker, chairman of the Planning Commission, supported the council’s decision to go beyond the commission’s initial recommendation.

“They want to make things tougher on these businesses that are recalcitrant and I think that’s great,” Becker said. “The tougher the better.”