City says yes to alcohol in DeKalb salons, barbershops

DeKALB – DeKalb city leaders said they’re hoping action taken this week will help enhance the service experience at certain barbershops and hair and nail salons in town.

In a 5-2-1 decision, the City Council voted to allow alcohol sales at establishments equipped with a cosmetics liquor license. The dissenting votes were cast by 6th Ward Alderman Mike Verbic and 7th Ward Alderman John Walker. Fifth Ward Alderman Andre Powell recused himself from the vote because he runs and operates both a barbershop and hair salon in town.

City officials said they brought the vote to the council at the request of some local salon owners, who argued that the added service could boost their businesses.

“Right now, there’s not an option for salons and barbershops to offer low alcohol-by-volume drinks if they want to,” Mayor Cohen Barnes said. “It’s something that clients are asking for. Since there’s no legal way to do it, I thought, ‘Why not modify our code?’”

In order to obtain a cosmetic liquor license from the city to serve alcohol, an establishment needs to pay a $250 fee, have a Dram insurance policy and complete Basset training, officials said. Alcohol options will be limited to drinks with low alcohol content: beer, wine or seltzer, according to the newly approved city code.

The cosmetic liquor license received initial approval from the City Council at its Sept. 9 meeting.

In an interview with Shaw Local News Network on Wednesday, Walker said he believes the council has done the community a disservice by putting business before safety.

The city’s legal counsel looked to communities such as Oakbrook, Arlington Heights and Deerfield to help craft restrictions to the cosmetic liquor license put before the council for consideration, officials said.

“What people fail to understand is we’re not there yet like Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates, Oak Park,” Walker said. “We’re not there right now as a community. Right now, we have to get our things in order. First of all, we have to get the crime down.”

Walker said he remains adamantly against the City Council’s decision.

“I want to help every business have the best experience they can,” Walker said. “I’m not just looking at the sophisticated salons, the sophisticated barbershops. I’m looking at every other barbershop that I’ve heard issues going wrong. So, that’s my reasoning for being a hard no.”

First Ward Alderwoman Carolyn Zasada said she supports the city in creating a cosmetic liquor license but stressed that it won’t make financial sense for every establishment in town.

“Let’s let businesses decide what services fit their business model and go from there,” Zasada said.

After the final vote, Barnes apologized to Powell for the online backlash he’s faced over this topic. Powell, who owns and operates In & Out Cuts Barbershop – which in August moved to DeKalb – recently was the target of some online commentary that accused him of pushing for the change. Powell has denied that claim and also did not vote for it since his recusal.

“I know he has been vilified repeatedly online for this for no reason whatsoever,” Barnes said.

Powell replied, saying enough is enough.

“I will absolutely not be applying for this license,” Powell said. “I don’t like that that narrative was pushed behind me.”