Aldermen table vote on special permit for nightclub at 428 Maine

QUINCY — “And there is a time to dance. And there was a time for this law, but not any more.” — Ren McCormack from the movie “Footloose.”

Nancy Callaway claims she is being discriminated against as a minority because she wants to open a Latin-themed nightclub at 428 Maine. Callaway and her husband, Keith, spoke at Monday’s Quincy City Council meeting before aldermen considered a report from the Plan Commission denying their request for a special permit to operate a nightclub.

Quincy has six nightclub licenses. Five of them are spoken for:

1. Instant Replay
2. Casino Starlite
3. Port’s Place LLC (The Q)
4. Alibi Bar
5. The Rodeo

Concerns from neighbors regarding about hours of operation, parking and potential increases in trash factored into the commission’s decision to deny the request, with no mention of ethnicity being involved in the decision.

Nancy Callaway said she would close at 1 a.m., as opposed to most nightclubs which are open until 3 a.m. Keith Callaway said they had applied for the nightclub license because city ordinance doesn’t allow for dancing in establishments recognized as bars. That led to a discussion reminiscent of the movie “Footloose” and Alderman Mike Farha (R-4) talking about Christian sects that don’t allow dancing.

The Red Light Bar and Grill was the last establishment that served food and alcohol at 428 Maine.

Greg Fletcher (R-1) moved to rewrite the ordinance to allow for dancing in bars, and his colleagues agreed before tabling the Callaways’ application for two weeks.

Republican Ken Hultz was selected as the new 3rd Ward alderman, replacing Brianna Rivera, who resigned to become the executive director for The District. Quincy Mayor Mike Troup said Hultz was recommended by a vote of the Adams County Republican Central Committee.

Hultz operated the service station at 12th and Maine for years before opening an auto repair service. He now owns Hultz Rentals and Storage.

In other action, aldermen:

• Voted to maintain the current tax rates of 1.5 percent for home rule purchases and 8 percent hotel/motel tax rate of 8 percent for 2024.
• Approved a $801,567 bid from Hood Construction of Rushville for the reconstruction of Adams Street from 14th to 16th.
• Approved a $10,944 bid for a one-year landfill consultant contract with Weaver Consultants Group of Collinsville and a $39,365 bid from Heneghan Construction Services of Jerseyville for fencing, gates and cameras around the city’s defunct landfill on Illinois 104 east of Quincy.