Waukesha City’s Ordinance and Licensing Committee reviewed five operator (bartender) license applicants during its Oct. 13 meeting, approving three applications and holding two for additional review and return appearances.

The committee approved operator licenses for Zamaya Marie Rose Kloske, Jennifer Marcella Bloomer and Marion Ferris. The committee asked that two other applicants — identified in the hearing as Henry Gacek and Grace Marie Davis — return with additional employer participation or after a trial period before the committee takes further action.

The committee discussed each applicant’s criminal and employment history, heard statements from employers and agents, and allowed each applicant to speak. Committee member Alicia (last name not specified in the transcript) said she was “really concerned about the clear pattern of behavior” in one case and voted against immediate approval; other members emphasized training and employer oversight as conditions for future approval. Employer and agent statements were a central part of the committee’s deliberations: Buffalo Wild Wings’ general manager told the committee the restaurant had employed Kloske for six months and put her through a 30-day bartending trial before applying for a license; Chili’s general manager described Jennifer Bloomer as having completed the restaurant’s bartender training; and a West Milwaukee license-holder who now manages a local establishment said Marion Ferris’s single felony was decades old and argued rehabilitation had been demonstrated.

The committee’s formal actions on approvals were moved and seconded during the meeting and will be forwarded to the common council on the consent agenda at the next council meeting. For applicants the committee did not approve outright, committee members recommended internal training periods and return visits: one employer agreed to a three-month in-house training period before the license is reconsidered, and one underage applicant’s item was continued so her employer or agent could appear at a subsequent meeting.

Votes at a glance

- Zamaya Marie Rose Kloske — Motion to approve made by Alderson Halvinslave; seconded by Alderson Manion; committee vote recorded in the transcript as passing unanimously. The item will be placed on the council consent agenda at the next council meeting for final action.

- Jennifer Marcella Bloomer — Motion to approve made by a committee member; seconded by Alderson Lemke; recorded as passing unanimously and scheduled for the next council meeting consent agenda.

- Marion Ferris — Motion to approve made by a committee member; seconded by Alderson Lemke; recorded as passing unanimously and scheduled for the next council meeting consent agenda.

- Henry Gacek (applicant identified by first name Henry, last name spelled in the transcript as g a c e k) — No formal vote; committee directed that he be trained by his employer while working under another licensed operator and return in approximately three months for reconsideration. Committee members cited multiple disorderly conduct and alcohol-related entries on his record as reasons to delay full approval.

- Grace Marie Davis — Continued (no vote). The committee said it was inclined to approve but requested that her employer/agent appear at the next meeting because her case is recent and involves pending charges; the applicant agreed to ask her manager to attend the next scheduled committee meeting.

Why it matters

Operator licenses authorize people to serve alcohol in Waukesha establishments; the committee’s review balances applicant rehabilitation, public-safety concerns and employers’ staffing needs. Employer testimony and evidence of on-the-job training were decisive for several approvals; in other cases the committee preferred to see additional supervised work and employer oversight before issuing a license.

Details and context

Committee members repeatedly emphasized that applicants may work under a licensed operator while completing training. For the applicant whose record showed multiple convictions, a committee member advised training without issuing a license immediately and suggested re-evaluating after a three-month supervised period. For the underage applicant with pending charges, the committee noted state rules limit the consideration of pending offenses unless they are statutorily exempt (for example, crimes involving severe bodily harm or crimes against children); the committee nonetheless asked for the applicant’s employer to appear given the recency of the incident.

Next steps

Approved applications will be forwarded to the common council and are expected to appear on the council consent agenda at the next council meeting. Applicants whose matters were continued were given instructions by the clerk’s office for how to request a return date.