Good morning. Good afternoon, everyone.
Good afternoon.
The Committee on License and Consumer Protection will now come to order.
We will begin with a roll call to establish quorum.
Vice Chair Chico?
Alderman
Coleman, Alderman Morrell, Alderman O'Shea, Alderwoman Scott.
Alderman Cardona here? No.
Alderman Conway?
Present.
Alderwoman Metz is not here. Alderman Villegas is not here.
Alderman Sposato? Here. Alderman Napolitano.
Present.
Alderman Riley?
Present.
Alderman Gardner?
Alderwoman Clay, Alderman
Martin?Chair Silverstein.
Did I get... Oh, Alderwoman. Yeah, I got you, Scott.
And Eckstein. Oh.
LaZona Eckstein are here.
Got Moore, right?
Alderman Moore. We've got Moore. Yes.
Okay.
I have how many? You
got
11. Why do I have 12?
I think I've got you. Okay, there are 12 members present, and we have a quorum.
Yeah.
Alderwoman Mitz, I believe, is...
Are you there, Alderwoman Mitz?
She had a mask- I don't think she's there. Okay ... this morning.
But she's here. We will begin with public comment.
The period is limited to 30 minutes.
Out of respect for everybody's time, each speaker is limited to three
minutes.
We will start... Oh,
Alderman Cardonas, recognized for quorum.
Emilio
Carrillo?
Morning.
Oh, my name is Emilio.
I'm
the owner of Ready Rex Motor Shop in Gage Park.
So,
good morning, Chair and members of the committee.
I'm here on behalf of NAPR, a coalition
of 200 small independent business owners from across Chicago
neighborhoods, many of them present in this room.
Let me start with a question my members ask me almost every week, and I'll
put it to you plainly.
Does the City of Chicago want us here or not?
Because from where we sit lately, it's hard to tell.
The people I represent run the businesses that fill the gaps in the
communities, the corner stores, the small shops, the places that
stay open on blocks where the big chains and the banks never bothered to show
up.
When a neighborhood needs something, we are the ones who provide it.
We hire from those same blocks. We know our customers by name.
And every single year, it gets harder.
Rent goes up, wages go up, insurance goes up,
city fees go up. The cost of simply keeping the lights
on climb and climb.
And the margins these owners live on are thinner than
almost anyone in this room would believe.
For many of them, sweepstakes income isn't profit.
It's just a few hundred dollars a week that covers
a worker's shift, the rent, or the gap between staying
open and locking up for good. Now, there's a proposal to take that away.
And when my members ask about the alternative, video gaming, they
learn they're shut out of it, because of gaming boards won't license
anyone who operates sweepstakes in the first place.
So, the message they hear is lose
the income you have and don't go looking for the door,
because it's already closed to you.
That's why I ask the question. It isn't anger, it's
confusion.
These are exactly the businesses a city should be fighting to protect,
the ones holding the neighborhoods together while costs rised around
them.
So,
I'm not here to ask you to do nothing.
I'm here
to ask you to do the harder, fairer thing. Don't ban.
Regulate. Build a framework
the smallest operators can usually qualify for,
and bring us to the table when you write it.
We want to be licensed. We want to be counted.
We just need to know the city still has a place for us.
Thank you. The next speaker is Christina
Kritikos.
Good afternoon, Chair and members of the committee. My name is Christina Kritikos.
I own Big Lou's Tobacco Shop in the 40th Ward, represented by
Andre Vasquez. I've run it for 14 years.
I'm here because banning sweepstake machines would hurt small businesses like
mine, and because of the legal alternative everyone
keeps pointing to was never actually available to me.
When this debate started, I did my homework. People told me, "Don't worry.
If sweepstakes go away, just get a video gaming license." So, I looked
into it, and here is what I learned.
The Illinois Gaming Board will not grant a video gaming license
to someone who has operated sweepstake machines.
Let me say that again, because it's the whole reason I'm standing here.
The very thing I've done lawfully to keep my doors open,
operate sweepstakes, is the thing that the Gaming Board uses to disqualify
me from the so-called legal path.
Owners have applied and have been turned down for exactly that
reason. There is even legislation in Springfield right now
trying to rescind those denials. Which tells you this
isn't my imagination, it's real, and the people who write these laws
knows it's real.
So, understand that a ban actually does to someone
like me, a widowed, single mom,
it takes away the income I depend on today, and it slams the door
on the only alternative I'm told to pursue because I'm already
locked out of it. I don't get to convert, I just lose.
And let me be clear, I'm not asking you to look the other way.
I would welcome regulation. License me, charge me a fee,
inspect my business, set the rules, and hold me to them.
Owners like me want to be legitimate, tax-paying participants.
We are not the problem you are trying to solve.My
ask is simple. Please do not ban sweepstakes and leave small operators with
nothing. Punish on one side for what we do now and
bard on the other from the only path forward.
Build a regulated framework we can actually qualify for.
Thank you for your time and remembering the small businesses in this fight who
don't have lobbyists, just a storefront and the people who depend on it.
Thank you. Our next speaker is, I'm having trouble
reading this.
Is it Jesvin?
Is that right? Could you say your whole-
Yeah.
Okay. And we'd also like to recognize Alderman O'Shea for quorum.
Good afternoon, members of the committee.
I'm going to recognize you.
My name is Jesvin Alabumkal, and I am here on behalf of the
Clark's Gas Station, located at 6700 South Ashland
Avenue.
I'm here today because I believe there's a better solution than a complete
ban. Let me be clear. I support enforcement
against illegal operators and illegal machines.
Those should not be allowed to continue.
However, for many small businesses like ours, lawful
sweepstakes revenue has become an important part of staying
afloat in an increasingly difficult business environment.
Our costs continue to rise every year.
Labor costs, utilities, city license renewal fees,
insurance, rent, and other operating expenses
continue to increase, while profit margins on fuel and many
convenience store items remain very small.
For independent businesses, every source of revenue matters.
When that revenue disappears, it does not just affect the business owner.
It affects employees, customers, vendors, and the communities we serve
every day.
If these machines disappear overnight, many small businesses will
be forced to look for other ways to make up that lost revenue.
In many cases, that means higher prices on everyday goods and
services. Ultimately, those increased costs are
often passed on to the consumers who shop in our stores every day.
Our store provides jobs, serves local residents, and works hard
to remain a positive part of the neighborhood.
Revenue from these programs has helped businesses like ours continue
operating without having to make difficult decisions that could impact
employees or the customers who rely on us.
We are not asking for special treatment.
We are simply asking the city to consider a balanced approach that targets
illegal activity while allowing responsible businesses to continue
operating.
We care about our businesses, our employees, and our communities, and we
respectfully ask that you consider the impact this ordinance could
have on small businesses like ours.
Thank you for your time and your consideration.
Thank you. The next speaker is Danielle Carter.
Is Danielle... Okay.
Next speaker is Zoe Lee.
First of all, my name is Zoe Lee,
creator and founder of Chicago Feels Red and Uncomfortable Truth Lifestyle.
And the uncomfortable truth is you guys are trying to normalize
gambling when
gambling is killing our communities.
Everything y'all trying to normalize, y'all are literally killing our communities.
Y'all trying to normalize Narcan vending machines.
Y'all trying to normalize casinos, gambling
spots at corner stores and gas stations, where half of
these gas station owners won't even let us use the restroom.
Y'all talk to us like dogs.
Y'all don't deserve to be in our communities at all.
This whole gambling sweepstakes thing is a
scam like the lottery is a scam.
None of this money is going to where it's really supposed to go to, which is the
schools, and that's why the schools are just messed up and deteriorated,
because of the leadership. Because all y'all care about is, is any of these people
are going to give you a check
so y'all can rerun again on the same BS policies
that are killing our communities.
That's why y'all got to get out of office if the feds don't come and get
you.
David Moore let
a
business of 43 years
get unlawfully demolished.
Violation of the Fifth Amendment.
But he's going to be here right now, and he's going to vote for these people to get
licensed and stuff for sweepstakes machines because he going to get some in
his ward.
Just like he's going to get a $25 million field house in Auburn Gresham while
you're
letting the city knock down buildings for land for TIF money, because all y'all do
is steal.
Y'all are criminals. And anybody that continues to
give them money on their campaigns, shame on you, and I hope they
lock y'all up.
Them machines are against the law.
They're against the law, just like what they're
doing with making sure that ICE don't come in here when we got all this
heroin coming through.
The West Side is the biggest
distribution for heroin, but y'all keep saying crime is down.
Are y'all stupid, or you think I'm stupid? No, I know y'all are stupid.
Baltimore.
Fine. You laughing because you're a r****d. You really are a r****d.
You really are a r****d, David Moore.
And a crackhead, too.
So that's why. That's why you laughing.
Ain't nothing funny about you knocking down a business of 43 years and
think, say, "Ah, they wasn't supposed to knock that building down"
while you're smoking crack.
That's the problem with you. We have a crackhead as an alderman.
Next speaker is Quashana Harris.
Crackhead.
Mm-hmm, crackhead.
Hello, my name is Quashana Harris.
Thank you so much, Chairwoman, and good afternoon to all of you.
Well, it's still the morning.
Well, hey, how you guys doing today?
And I am the founder of Chicago Shower Association, a new
initiative focused on expanding sanitation services.
I am here today to highlight the critical role that health and hygiene access
plays in reintegrating individuals back into society.
Lacking IDs, recognition, and stability, our intake process
provides a safe bridge restoring dignity, access to housing,
jobs, mental health care. By aligning HIPAA and partnering with
immigration service, we ensure everyone is placed with the right
support. This intake system is designed to be a precise
gateway where individuals are matched to services based on their
unique needs. By avoiding misdirected applications and
wasted time, we streamline the process,
ensuring consumers protection and a fair chance at access.
Not only saves time and
frustration of missteps, but builds trust and
an equitable process. I am asking for your
support in recognizing this sanitation system as a valid
access point, creating confidence stability across Chicagoland
by building a stronger, more unified structure within
all of our communities, ultimately rebirthing
Chicago. Thank you so much.
Thank you. That concludes our public comment period.
Under Rule 59,
Alderman Mitts would like to join this meeting.
Alderman Lawson makes a motion to recognize Alderman Mitts
as part of quorum. All in favor?
No, I-
Any opposed besides- Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chairman.
Mitts, are you here? Yes, I am. Thank you. Thank you.
We also have Alderwoman Gutierrez and Alderman Burnett as
non-members, so welcome to committee today.
We are going to get started on today's agenda.
We have nine items today. The first item on the
agenda is the approval of the Rule 45
reports for May 2026, which were sent out to the
committee.
Alderman Conway moves to approve the Rule 45.
All in favor say aye.
Any opposed? In the opinion of the chairs, the ayes have it.
The reports are approved.
All right, moving on to item number 2,
02026-0025-029,
an amendment of the municipal code section
4-60-073, by
decreasing maximum number of liquor
licenses issued during any license period from
31 to 30.
The chair recognizes
Quanchez. Did I get it right? Close?
Close enough. Quanchez.
From Alderman Mitchell's office.
Yes.
Okay.
Good afternoon, committee members.
My name is Quanchez Edwards, for the record,
Q-U-A-N-C-H-E-Z, to speak on the second item
of this agenda.
The alderman introduced this ordinance in response to a substitute
ordinance that was passed out of this committee in April.
Could you speak a little more into the microphone?
We're having trouble hearing you.
Okay. Can you hear me now?
Yes.
I feel like it's right in my face. Okay.
So this
ordinance is in response to a substitute ordinance that this
committee passed in April, which increased the number of
liquor
licenses from 29 to 31. It
included both Rainbow Beach and 12th Street Beach.
However, Rainbow Beach is located entirely in the 7th Ward, and
Alderman Mitchell was not consulted on that
license change. So this ordinance is just to
remove Rainbow Beach from that list of lakefront
venues without affecting 12th Street Beach.
The only change would be removing Rainbow Beach.
So the number would change from 31 to 30.
Any questions? Alderman Lawson?
Thank you, Chair. I have a number of these in my lakefront ward.
Just curious if this license was never contemplated
or how far along in the process it had already gotten, because we're pretty late in
the season.
Well, there was not one before.
Right.
And Alderman Mitchell was not consulted on...
The substitute ordinance that passed out of committee was not sponsored
by-
No, I understand. I guess my question was, was there already a vendor selected for
this license or did it not even get that far?
I don't know if it got that far.
Okay. Thanks. That's all, Chair.
Alderman Moore, did you have a question?
Hold on, they're bringing you a
microphone.
Thank
you. So the original ordinance that passed,
you said reduced?
It increased the number of lakefront venue licenses from 29 to
31. It added Rainbow Beach and 12th Street Beach.
Okay. And right now, is there a substitute before us
right now, or this substitute is being introduced?
It's, I mean, the-
It's just eliminating the one location, Alderman, because Alderman Mitchell was
not consulted on that.
And since it's in his ward and it was passed by a different
alderman,
and since Alderman Mitchell wasn't informed, he's now
asking to remove that from the ordinance that was passed last month.
Yes.
So
the increase will be one less?
Correct
Yes.
Right. And just for the record, this doesn't affect at all
the current norms
at Rainbow Beach, does it?
It shouldn't.
I'm just asking.
Yeah. No, it shouldn't affect him being a vendor, just without the liquor.
Is what?
He wouldn't be able to sell liquor, but he should still be a vendor.
It wouldn't affect his status as a vendor.
Oh, voting for this affects him to sell liquor?
It wouldn't allow liquor at Rainbow Beach, yes.
But it wouldn't remove norms from Rainbow Beach, if that's the question.
It would just not allow him to sell liquor there.
Which it never has in the past.
Yeah.
This is an entirely new thing.
Right. This is nothing new.
Yeah.
Alderman Riley wanted to chime in here.
Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And the reason we're having this conversation at all is
that at the last hearing, I flagged this as an issue to make sure that all of the
lakefront aldermen had been properly apprised of
additions to the liquor ordinance that applies to those
establishments on Park District properties on the lake.
And I think it was at that time that Alderman Mitchell determined that no,
this vendor had never approached his office to seek these
new licenses, and therefore Alderman Robinson's move
to grant them was out of order. And so, that's why I flagged
this initially.
It wasn't because we don't want to allow for more licenses on the lakefront.
It's to ensure that there's a healthy discussion among all of
the stakeholders that represent the lakefront, and that's us.
So anyway, I just wanted to provide some background on that, and I'm glad that the
hearing process worked. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Yes. I don't want to name any names, but yes. That's exactly what happened.
Any other questions, Alderman Moore, or anyone else?
We'd like to recognize Alderwoman Coleman for purposes of
quorum,
and she makes a motion to pass. All in favor say
aye. Any opposed? In the opinion of the Chair, as the ayes have it, the motion is
passed.
Thank you.
Item...
Yeah, I think there's a lot of people here that need to vote on public safety.
We're going to move this really quickly.
Let's see.
We can move you to number five.
We'll skip to number five, which is
02026-0025437,
amendment of municipal code section
4-60-022
(14.96) to disallow additional
alcoholic liquor licenses on portion of West 55th Street.
The Chair recognizes Alderman Gutierrez.
Thank you so much, Chairwoman.
I introduced this ordinance because this precinct is around five
schools and a church, and there's been a lot of stuff going
on with the liquor licenses already that we have established in that
area. So, this would allow us to provide a little bit
more safety into our community, and also get to know what
type of new businesses are coming to our
neighborhood, and have a sense of protection to our family.
So I do
ask for a favorable vote on this one. Thank you.
Any questions from committee?
Alderman O'Shea moves to pass. All in favor say aye.
Any opposed? In the opinion of the Chair, as the ayes have it, the motion is
passed.
Moving on back to item number 3,
02026-0025367.
Renewal of designation of
4th, 28th, 29th, 30th, and 32nd Precincts
of the 23rd Ward as restricted residential zones,
prohibiting additional shared housing units and vacation rentals.
The Chair recognizes Emma Ortega from Alderman
Tabares's office.
Good afternoon, Chairwoman and committee members.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Emma Ortega.
I'm with the 23rd Ward Office of Alderman Silvana Tabares.
I'm here to speak that Alderman Tabares is requesting for your support on ordinance
2026-0025367 for the
renewal of restricted residential zoning in the 4th, 28th,
29th, 30th, and 32nd Precincts of the 23rd Ward.
The 23rd Ward is a primarily single family home ward, where working
residents choose to raise their families.
It is a place where many first responders, union families, young families, and
hardworking Chicagoans call home.
In recent years, residents of the 5300 block of South New England
encountered challenges with houses being rented out as shared
housing. This situation led to significant disturbances, including
loud parties, inappropriate filming activities, and gatherings that did not
align with the values of our community.
Local residents called 911, BACP, the 23rd Ward
office for help in addressing these issues.
The residents of the 23rd Ward have expressed that they do not want shared housing
in their neighborhoods. They have taken proactive steps by circulating
petitions aimed at maintaining the character of their community.
Residents want a quiet and safe place for their children.
We respectfully request for your support for
02026-0025367, which is
for the renewal of the prohibition of shared housing and vacation rentals in the
4th, 28th, 30th, and 32nd Precincts of the 23rd Ward.
Thank you for your attention on this matter.
All right. Alderman Riley is in the chair for a moment.
Is there a motion do pass?
So moved by Alderman Cardona. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it.
The motion is passed.
What have we got here?
Okay, we have item...
Here.
Where are we at?
Fourth precinct.
Yeah.
Someone here from Alderman Hall's
officeOkay,
we will hold that item.
Move on to item number
602026-0025439,
amendment of municipal code section
4-60-0231.96
to allow additional package good licenses on portions of West Chicago Avenue.
The chair recognizes Alderman Burnett.
Thank you, Vice Chair. Is this on? This is
a wine store that is selling their business to another
operator, and in order to transfer over the license
or to apply for a new one, we need to lift the code.
And so they've been good community members.
No issues with this wine store over there on Chicago Avenue, and I ask the
committee to support this and vote in favor.
Are there any questions from the committee?
Can I get a motion do pass?
So moved by Alderman Lawson.
All in favor say aye, opposed say nay.
In the opinion of the chairs, the ayes have it. The motion is passed.
And our next item. Oh, our chairman is
back.
We're set.
Thank you. Thank you. It's been a pleasure.
Thank you for standing in for me, Alderman Riley.
Number seven.
Oh, is Leslie here?
Zach Thompson.
Oh,
are we here? Okay.
Sorry.
O2026-0025354,
amendment of municipal code section 4-60-023
(49.2) to disallow additional package good
licenses on portions of West Howard Street.
And we have two of them. We also have item number eight, which is
O2026-0025355,
amendment of municipal code section 4-60-023
(49.37) to disallow additional
package good licenses on portions of North Clark Street.
The chair recognizes Zach Thompson from the 49th Ward.
Zach Joseph, Chair. Pardon me.
Thank you very much, Chair, members of the committee.
It's funny because I have a Zach Thompson in my ward, so
I thought, "Oh, there's two of you." Okay, sorry. Your correct last name?
Joseph, ma'am.
Joseph, okay.
Thank you, Chair, members of the committee.
I'm here on behalf of Alderman Hatton to ask for your favorable
consideration these two items. These are both existing moratoriums
on these stretches of Clark and Howard respectively.
We lifted them both back in 2025 in order to allow for new
owners to take over for two separate liquor stores.
And we would like to
now disallow future licenses on this block due an oversaturation of
liquor licenses in these two respective areas. Thank you.
Any questions from committee?
Alderman Waxback moves to pass. All in favor say aye.
Any opposed? The opinion of the chairs, both of these items have
passed. Thank you so much.
And then the final ordinance is
O2026-0025384,
amendment of municipal code section
4-60-022
(50.51) to allow additional alcoholic
liquor licenses on a portion of West Devon Avenue in the 50th Ward.
We have a very iconic
tavern in our ward on Devon Avenue.
It's been there for, gosh, maybe 30 years or
longer, and the existing owner
is ready to retire and hand it over to somebody else who's going to
keep the exact character of the establishment, and we're
excited to keep it in the 50th Ward.
So, are there any questions from the committee?
In that case, Alderman
Lawson moves to pass. All in favor say aye. Any opposed?
In the opinion of the chairs, the ayes have it. The motion is passed.
One last call for Alderman Hall,
then we will hold his item.
The passed matters will be reported as a recommendation to pass at the next
city council on June 17th, 2026. There being no
further business for the committee,
Alderman Riley moves to adjourn. All in favor say aye.
Hearing no objection. So ordered, the meeting is adjourned. Thank you all so much.