The owner of a Westville Tavern has been ordered to pay a fine, and the business will also remain temporarily closed because of some recent problems there. Attorney Liya Hussmann Rogers, representing the Village of Westville, outlined the details of an agreement reached with the owner of Sophia Stefani’s Tavern…
{AUDIO: ‘’Number one, the liquor license shall be suspended from March 25, 2023 through the end of business day on April 9, 2023. There will be a fine of $500 to be paid within 30 days…by Mr. Bott. Beginning April 10th, upon the establishment re-opening the hours of the operation will not remain open after 12:00 a.m. for a two week period ending at the end of the business day on April 23, 2023.’’}
In addition, the bar must hire two security guards to work on weekends for a 30-day period once the tavern is allowed to re-open. The agreement was read before a packed house at the Westville Village Hall where some concerned citizens were not allowed to speak. Hussmann Rogers explained why they were not allowed to make comments….
{AUDIO – ‘’The purpose of the public hearing was not to allow the public to have a speak in this, but to allow the mayor to conduct the hearing with the owner of the bar. And so while you are all welcome to be here for the public hear, it was not going to be a hearing that interacted with the public.’’}
Denice Emery runs the Silver Motel, next door to the bar. She reacted after not being given a chance to speak out….
{‘’I think it’s crazy. Nobody got a say and he got nothing out of it. And every weekend my parking lot is packed with his customers. Even I’m having them towed and they’re still coming in. My people have to park in the street because people from Stefani’s have my whole parking lot taken up.’’}
Recently there was a shooting on a parking lot owned by Sophia Stefani’s across the street from the tavern. And police say there have been other problems at the bar but those were not outlined at the hearing.
Citizens were invited to register complaints about the bar with Mayor Mike Weese or Westville Police. And the crowd was told the village council will be re-evaluating its ordinances at its next meeting on April 19th, 2023.
