Attempt at Crackdown on Illegal Liquor Sales Stalled

Seeking to more swiftly punish businesses that sell alcohol without a city permit, the San Fernando City Council debated a proposed resolution that would allow city officials to charge business owners with a misdemeanor after the first offense.

Currently, businesses must be cited with three infractions of the city code before a misdemeanor charge can be filed.

Some councilors at Monday’s meeting criticized the proposal, saying it did not provide code enforcement officers with guidelines to determine when businesses selling alcohol without a permit should be charged with a misdemeanor and when they should be charged with an infraction.

Unable to reach consensus after a half-hour of heated debate, the council postponed action on the resolution and directed city staff to come back with a revised proposal at the next board meeting Nov. 16.