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Green Bay council backs non-renewal of El Presidente liquor license

By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer

GREEN BAY – A restaurant and bar where several citations have been issued in recent months could face being without a liquor license this summer.

After hearing from Marco La Porta, who runs El Presidente at 219 N. Washington St., the Green Bay Common Council voted unanimously not to renew the establishment’s Class B Combination license, which expires June 30.

La Porta, who showed up late for the meeting when consideration of his license was pushed back as the final agenda item of the evening, blamed a company he had manage the bar for the problems there, noting he no longer uses the company.

La Porta said he would prefer just operating the restaurant, but also has a bar to be able to stay in business from a financial standpoint.

“I couldn’t shut down the bar, because it was needed,” he said.

La Porta said he doesn’t have control over what happens outside the business and believes the establishment is now being run well since no longer using the company to manage the bar as of last September.

The non-renewal was recommended by both the city’s police and law departments.

Police Chief Andrew Smith said he disagreed with La Porta claiming the business was being run well.

“My officers spend an inordinate amount of time in the evenings at El Presidente,” Smith said. “Time and time again, we have meetings on Monday where we talk about the issues that were not outside the bar, but inside the bar – fights, arrests for underage drinking. Recently the (Bureau of) Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms confiscated several thousand dollars worth of alcohol that was being sold illegally inside of there.”

In addition, Smith said neighbors have complained about noise going on at the business after hours as well as fights going on outside in the parking lot.

“I’ve been there a couple of times myself and seen the crowds that are coming out of there and fights that are occurring as people are leaving, because (of) their level of intoxication,” he said. “Are you aware that some of your neighboring businesses are actually focusing their cameras on your business, instead of their business, because the problems in the front of that place are coming from El Presidente? Over and over and over again, my officers have been there to try to explain what you need to do to clean that business up. Over and over and over again, it has not happened.”

Some of the harshest criticism on the council of how La Porta has run El Presidente came from District 4 Alderman Bill Galvin, a retired Green Bay police officer.

“My experience has been that when we have problem bars, we look at the management,” Galvin said. “The management either cleans up, or it doesn’t. The city’s saying you shouldn’t have your license renewed. You’ve used up your chances…”

City Attorney Vanessa Chavez said La Porta would be able to appeal the council’s decision by requesting an evidentiary hearing within 10 days after receiving notice of the license non-renewal.

“This (council vote) is just a recommendation based on preliminary evidence,” she said. “The full evidentiary hearing is when actual testimony can be provided.”

Chavez said the number of citations issued at El Presidente is “substantially higher than many other establishments within the city.”

When speaking to reporters following the meeting, La Porta said he plans to appeal the council’s decision.

“I’ve been trying to work, to be honest, to change El Presidente,” he said. “El Presidente was a mess, completely, after that company got the management of the place. They ran it really bad.”

La Porta, who noted he leases the property, said would he not be able to stay in business without a liquor license.

He said he has another two years on the lease, but declined further comment when asked about the specifics such as whether he would be able to terminate the lease early.

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