Video gambling restrictions OK’d

The Springfield City Council on Tuesday approved new restrictions on video gambling at licensed establishments.

Under the ordinance passed by an 8-2 vote, businesses that receive their liquor licenses on or after May 31 will have to get at least 60 percent of their annual revenue from food and beverage sales if they want to offer video gaming.

Ward 6 Ald. Cory Jobe, who sponsored the ordinance along with Ward 1 Ald. Frank Edwards, said the measure will protect traditional bars and restaurants from the influx of storefront video gaming parlors that sell minimal food and beverages.

“I looked at it to protect our local small-business owners, that bar and restaurant that’s cycling the dollar over and over in our community every day,” Jobe said.

The state law that allowed video gaming at licensed liquor-serving establishments was passed in part to help bars and restaurants that lost revenue due to the statewide smoking ban, he said.

The ordinance that was approved had two changes from what was originally proposed.

First, at the request of Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, an amendment was made to limit licensed gaming establishments in the city to five gaming terminals each. That’s what state law currently allows, but there has been discussion in the legislature about increasing the limit to 10.

The ordinance also was amended to push the effective date from May 15 to May 31.

Jobe said this will allow a business that has already received zoning approval for two storefront gaming locations and whose liquor licenses are on the agenda for the council’s May 20 meeting to move forward with its plans.

Miss Kimmees is planning to open gaming parlors at 1052 North Grand Ave. W. and 1424 Sangamon Ave.

Ward 5 Ald. Sam Cahnman, who represents the area with the most licensed video gaming establishments, was one of the two aldermen who voted against the restrictions.

Cahnman said he was concerned about other businesses that have already started the zoning or liquor license application process but won’t be approved before May 31.

“It’s like changing the rules in the middle of the game,” he said.

Cahnman suggested two amendments that would have exempted any business that had pending applications as of Tuesday, but neither received support from other council members.

Ward 10 Ald. Tim Griffin cast the other vote against the ordinance.

The restrictions had the support of a group of local restaurant owners. Mike Monseur, co-owner of Godfather’s Pizza restaurants in Springfield, Chatham and Decatur, expressed that support at the council’s committee meeting last week and reiterated it Tuesday.

Meanwhile, aldermen decided to wait to vote on new boundaries for the city’s 10 wards.

While some wanted to move forward, Ward 4 Ald. Frank Lesko asked for two more weeks to review changes other aldermen had requested.

The map must be approved by Aug. 19, officials said.

In other business

* The council voted 9-0 to approve a new set of regulations for boathouses at Lake Springfield and for building permits for structures in floodplains. City Water, Light and Power proposed the new rules as part of its ongoing effort to take a more proactive approach to permitting and to make sure lake homeowners go through the same process as residents elsewhere in the city if they are seeking variances from building rules, chief utility engineer Eric Hobbie said. The utility owns and manages the lake. Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin voted “present.”

* Aldermen unanimously approved the appointments of Dana Kinion and Alan Cherrick to the board of managers of Oak Ridge Cemetery.

* Aldermen voted 9-1 to award $253,936 from the downtown tax increment financing district fund to Bright New Day Investments Inc. to help with renovations at 520 E. Monroe St. The work, which has a total estimated cost of $700,676, includes rehabilitating the north, east and south facades, the roof and fire escapes, and the interior. The building will include commercial space on the first floor and four residential units upstairs. Ward 9 Ald. Steve Dove was the lone vote in opposition.

* The council unanimously OK’d spending $1.05 million in motor fuel tax funds to pay for its share of the project to widen Wabash Avenue from the village of Curran to Koke Mill Road. The city is also responsible for improvements to side roads, including Archer Elevator Road, Hollis Drive and Cockrell Lane.

Contact Dan Petrella: daniel.petrella@sj-r.com, 788-1532, twitter.com/petrellareports, facebook.com/danpetrella.