Meeting colors

OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Ordinance & License Committee Meeting - January 26, 2026

Public Meetings — Monday, January 26, 2026

BodyWaukesha, Wisconsin

SessionPublic Meetings

DateMonday, January 26, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 8:26

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:04

It is six o'clock, so we will call to order the Monday, January 26th, 2026 meeting of the ordinance and licensing committee.

0:17

Four out of five members of the committee are here with the exception of Dean Lemke.

0:22

So we do have a quorum.

0:25

Moving on, is anyone here for public comment?

0:29

All right.

0:30

No public comment.

0:31

We will move on to approval of minutes.

0:34

Does anyone have any issue with the minutes as they are stated for our January 12th meeting?

0:43

Seeing no issues, we'll consider the minutes approved by unanimous consent.

0:49

Moving on to licenses, we have invited bartenders.

0:54

First up, we have Emily Heinrich.

0:56

I'm guessing that is not you.

0:57

Okay.

0:58

That's good because Emily emailed us and said she was withdrawing her application at this time.

1:02

So it would have been really weird if you were.

1:05

So we will move on to Terry Romano.

1:08

All right.

1:09

You're not Terry either.

1:10

Okay.

1:13

All right.

1:15

That's her third time, right?

1:17

Correct.

1:17

That is her third invite.

1:19

Have we gotten any responses?

1:21

Um we have they should all be attached to that application.

1:25

We have gotten confirmation previously that she was going to attend each of the meetings.

1:30

Uh but obviously, as you can see, she has not yet.

1:36

Thank you.

1:37

Sorry, I guess I didn't read closely enough.

1:57

A lot of emails from the clerk's office to well, I think we do need to see her based on her uh background, unless anybody feels otherwise.

2:24

So all right.

2:25

I guess let's give her one more chance.

2:27

So we'll hold also hold the uh bartender application for Terry Romano.

2:35

Um moving on to other applications.

2:40

Um order here.

2:48

Um mixing stuff up.

3:00

Um first up, we have House of Guinness, extension of premises, uh, and sidewalk cafe.

3:07

Is that anyone of you by chance?

3:09

Okay.

3:09

What are you here for?

3:10

So I can stop calling every day.

3:12

Our attending license.

3:15

Um, we don't have you on the agenda for tonight.

3:24

Uh here a couple weeks back and they said the 26th, 6 o'clock.

3:29

Come in for the meeting and bring two or at least one uh representative from the bar.

3:37

Pass through or something.

3:39

So potentially we could still, because you would receive email confirmation for sure.

3:45

Um, typically, as long as things go according to um what the usual timeline is, whoever gave you that information would tend to be accurate.

3:54

Um, but if there's a delay with something with us getting a response from things from the police department for the um for them to speak on and approve anything with our bartenders, um there could have been something like that, but otherwise you are potentially gonna be on the next meeting because you do need to receive that confirmation from our city clerk through email.

4:15

So the next meeting is going to be not next Monday, but the following Monday, same location, same time.

4:23

So that looks like that would end up being the 9th of February.

4:33

If you have another representative that can attend from the bar, that will also work.

4:38

Okay.

4:39

All right.

4:40

I apologize for the miscommunication there, but uh, we will definitely reach out and we'll confirm uh and make sure that everything is clear for you for the time that you're supposed to attend.

4:50

Thank you so much.

4:51

Thank you.

4:57

Second ninth.

5:00

According to Molly.

5:03

Yeah, it was on my calendar.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Licensing Regulation█████████████████████████████████████████████58%

Procedural█████████████████████████████████42%

Summary of Proceedings

Ordinance & License Committee Meeting - January 26, 2026

The Ordinance and License Committee of the City of Waukesha met on Monday, January 26, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Four of five members were present (Chairman Paul Wuteska, Alicia Halvensleben, Daniel Manion, Steve Van Trieste); Dean D. Lemke was absent. The meeting was called to order, and a quorum was confirmed. The meeting adjourned at 6:08 PM.

Approval of Minutes

The minutes from the January 12, 2026 meeting were approved by unanimous consent, with no objections.

Public Comments & Testimony

No members of the public spoke.

Licenses — Invited Bartender Applications

Emily Heinrich: The application was withdrawn by the applicant.
Terri Romano: The application was held for the next meeting. This was her third scheduled appearance; she had not attended despite prior confirmations. The committee agreed to give her one more opportunity.

Licenses — Other Applications

House of Guinness – Extension of Premises and Sidewalk Cafe Permit:
- The committee approved both applications, subject to engineering notes.
Idyllic Bubble Tea – Sidewalk Cafe Permit:
- Approved, subject to engineering notes, with an additional remark regarding a fence issue that will be communicated separately by the clerk’s office.
Joey's Diner – Sidewalk Cafe Permit:
- Approved, subject to engineering notes.
Waukesha Old Car Club – Special Class B Retail License:
- Approved, subject to engineering notes.
A note was added for all sidewalk cafe applicants: tables, chairs, or other objects cannot be anchored to facilities within the right-of-way (including brick pavers), and minimum sidewalk width must be maintained at all times per city ordinance.

Discussion Items

Miscommunication on attendance: An individual arrived representing a bar that was not on the agenda. They had been told to attend the January 26 meeting but did not receive an official confirmation. The committee clarified that applicants should wait for email confirmation from the city clerk. The next meeting is scheduled for February 9, 2026 (the following Monday two weeks later). The committee apologized for the confusion and promised to send clear confirmation.

Key Outcomes

Approved (4-0, with Lemke absent):
- Motion by Ald. Halvensleben, seconded by Ald. Manion, to approve the Extension of Premises License for House of Guinness, the Sidewalk Cafe Permit for House of Guinness, the Sidewalk Cafe Permit for Idyllic Bubble Tea, the Sidewalk Cafe Permit for Joey's Diner, and the Special Class B Retail License for Waukesha Old Car Club, all subject to engineering notes.
- Vote: Ayes – Wuteska, Halvensleben, Manion, Van Trieste; Abstentions – none; Absent – Lemke.
Held: Terri Romano’s Invited Bartender Application, continued to the next meeting.
Withdrawn: Emily Heinrich’s Invited Bartender Application.
Next meeting: February 9, 2026, same time and location.

Meeting Transcript

It is six o'clock, so we will call to order the Monday, January 26th, 2026 meeting of the ordinance and licensing committee. Four out of five members of the committee are here with the exception of Dean Lemke. So we do have a quorum. Moving on, is anyone here for public comment? All right. No public comment. We will move on to approval of minutes. Does anyone have any issue with the minutes as they are stated for our January 12th meeting? Seeing no issues, we'll consider the minutes approved by unanimous consent. Moving on to licenses, we have invited bartenders. First up, we have Emily Heinrich. I'm guessing that is not you. Okay. That's good because Emily emailed us and said she was withdrawing her application at this time. So it would have been really weird if you were. So we will move on to Terry Romano. All right. You're not Terry either. Okay. All right. That's her third time, right? Correct. That is her third invite. Have we gotten any responses? Um we have they should all be attached to that application. We have gotten confirmation previously that she was going to attend each of the meetings. Uh but obviously, as you can see, she has not yet. Thank you. Sorry, I guess I didn't read closely enough. A lot of emails from the clerk's office to well, I think we do need to see her based on her uh background, unless anybody feels otherwise. So all right. I guess let's give her one more chance. So we'll hold also hold the uh bartender application for Terry Romano. Um moving on to other applications. Um order here. Um mixing stuff up. Um first up, we have House of Guinness, extension of premises, uh, and sidewalk cafe. Is that anyone of you by chance? Okay. What are you here for? So I can stop calling every day. Our attending license. Um, we don't have you on the agenda for tonight. Uh here a couple weeks back and they said the 26th, 6 o'clock. Come in for the meeting and bring two or at least one uh representative from the bar. Pass through or something. So potentially we could still, because you would receive email confirmation for sure. Um, typically, as long as things go according to um what the usual timeline is, whoever gave you that information would tend to be accurate. Um, but if there's a delay with something with us getting a response from things from the police department for the um for them to speak on and approve anything with our bartenders, um there could have been something like that, but otherwise you are potentially gonna be on the next meeting because you do need to receive that confirmation from our city clerk through email. So the next meeting is going to be not next Monday, but the following Monday, same location, same time.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI

TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com