Neighbors upset with the way Mike Jonas ran Cattails bar in the Town of Delavan won another round on Nov. 22. Three businesses applied for the liquor license last held by Cattails. The board gave the license to none of them.
Neighbors of Cattails have complained about noise, parking issues, garbage, and rowdy customers in their neighborhood as a result of Mike Jonas’ ownership of Cattails for over four years. The bar’s liquor license was revoked during a hearing that was held during a special meeting on Oct. 10 and that action remained in effect after another special meeting on Oct. 18.
The revocation occurred as the result of a complaint filed by Richard Wasik. In the complaint, Wasik alleged that owner Mike Jonas kept an improper house and was not qualified to hold a liquor license due to there being several unsatisfied judgments against him and two OWI charges that he failed to disclose on license applications.
Nancy Jonas, the mother of Mike Jonas, took over ownership of the bar prior to the liquor license revocation and was under the assumption that she could get the license transferred to her now that Mike Jonas was no longer the owner of the business.
The board did not grant that transfer as it had not yet received a background check on Jonas. Mike Jonas did not attend either special meeting and Nancy Jonas left the meeting after the board denied her request to transfer the liquor license. The license was then revoked with Jonas not present to question witnesses or evidence despite being under a summons.
Attorney Steve Compton said that was his fault as a strategic decision by him in leaving the meeting was a mistake. He later asked the board to not renew the license and instead said Jonas would apply for it as a new applicant.
On Nov. 22, three applications for the one regular liquor license the town had available and the one previously held by Mike Jonas, came before the board. During public comments, Nancy Jonas said she felt the board had already made up its mind. She passionately asked if there was anything she could do to change their minds.
A bartender at Cattails said Mike Jonas will no longer have any involvement in the business. Some neighbors have said Nancy Jonas was merely a surrogate for Mike and nothing would change under her ownership because Mike was still actively involved in the business. The bartender said Cattails is really trying and would adhere to whatever restrictions the town put on it.
One neighbor questioned if Mike Jonas really sold the bar and said he and others have lived there since before Mike Jonas bought it. He said the bar was not a problem back then. Several other neighbors then spoke stating that traffic and noise issues have improved dramatically since Cattails has closed and urging the board to accept the recommendation of the Administrative Committee to award the license to Mama Cocina’s, a business that some said was promised a license when it moved to the town from Williams Bay but was not given one.
One neighbor said Mike Jonas has never been willing to work with the neighbors and pointed out over 100 people signed a petition asking for the license revocation, so it was not just one or two disgruntled people speaking out. She said the noise and vulgar language impact the year-round residents who live there. She said she was sorry employees have lost jobs, but there was a process to follow and Cattails did not follow it and stand up for its employees.
Attorney Chad Pollard, who has represented the neighbors, said he wants to see Mama Cocina’s have the opportunity to make money. He said the board revoked the license for Cattails, Mike Jonas never attended the meetings, and Nancy Jonas walked out. Pollard said the board should follow the recommendation of the Administrative Committee.
Compton later replied verifying that Mike Jonas is no longer associated with Cattails and saying he thought Nancy Jonas would be granted the license if Mike gave up his ownership stake. He said Mike and Nancy have done much to address the complaints of the neighbors like installing new windows and a new sound system. He said the board did not reply when informed of the changes and no one ever came out to see the changes. Compton called the process that has been followed an absolute sham and unfair.
When it came time for the board to consider granting the license to one of the three businesses that applied for it, the board decided to hold onto it for now.
Supervisor Katherine Gaulke said that when it is awarded, the two businesses that don’t get it can apply for a reserve license, but there is a $10,000 fee to do that. She also said the town needs to develop a better process for considering and approving liquor license applications and said it would be premature to approve any of the three on the table before that was done.
Supervisor Mary Knipper, who sits on the Administrative Committee said that could take up to four months and made a motion to award the license to Mama Cocina’s. That motion dies due to a lack of a second, so Gaulke made the motion to table the applications until a process can be developed. That motion passed 4-1 with Knipper opposed.
