St. Charles ready to raise fines for misbehavior of drunks

Peeing in public after partying in a pub may soon be a much pricier faux pas in St. Charles.

The city council is poised to make changes in the town's laws, including its liquor code, to discourage such behavior.

The council, meeting as the government services committee, reviewed the proposed changes Monday night and recommended their passage.

The changes would raise the minimum first-time fines for disorderly conduct related to public intoxication, and for public urination or defecation, to $250 per charge. The fine is now $100.

The maximum fines would be $750.

So potentially, a drunk person urinating on a sidewalk or in an alley could end up paying the city $500 the first time, and up to $1,500 the next.

But under the proposed changes, an intoxicated person needing emergency medical services, such as someone who has passed out, could not be prosecuted for public intoxication. The priority, police Chief James Keegan said, is to get them medical help.

The changes came about after city officials, including former Mayor Don DeWitte, became alarmed about the number of police calls related to incidents of fighting and urination near bars in the downtown area.

Other proposed changes include:

• Servers would have to be at least 18 years old to deliver alcoholic beverages to a table, up from age 16.

• Businesses that normally do not serve alcohol but want to do so for special evening events would be able to do so without having to obtain a late-night license in addition to a temporary-service license.

• If you want to take home an unfinished bottle from your dinner, you will be able to do so, provided the server seals it in a special clear plastic bag.

• Golf courses will be able to serve booze from carts and halfway houses on the courses.

• The Steel Beam Theatre will be able to sell wine and beer during performances.

• Bouncers and doormen would have to undergo Beverage Alcohol Sales and Servers Education and Training;

• And St. Charles would finally regulate bring-your-own-bottle alcohol service. There aren't any laws regarding it on the books now, so technically no one is breaking a law, according to the police chief.

Under the new regulations, restaurants and other businesses that want to allow patrons to bring alcoholic beverages will need to obtain a BYOB license.

Alderman Maureen Lewis did take exception to the creation of one new class of liquor license, which would let members of a private club bring their own beer, wine or spirits. They could store the beverages in lockers at the store.

She suggested the city limit the number of licenses issued to one, to grandfather in an existing business, a cigar shop, that currently allows this.

The changes will now be brought to the city council for a vote.