A Carbondale bar will not be permitted to do business at least until August, and may not reopen at all as a result of a special meeting of the Local Liquor Control Commission Friday.

The commission failed to renew the liquor license of Detours, 760 E. Grand, due to a 2-2 deadlock created by the absence of Commissioner Maggie Flanagan.

I guess it is bad luck for you that Commissioner Flanagan is not here, Commissioner Michael Neill told Raju Puthankatti, owner of Detours. Of course, I don’t know how she would vote. I would rather take a hard stance and let people know than to always give them second chances.

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Neill said Building and Neighborhood Services reports regarding the condition of the building were the primary reason he voted to deny the license.

The routine renewal inspection by the city agency revealed structural and other violations, including a leaky roof, soiled carpeting and damp walls.

The owner of the building has hired a contractor, and Morris McDaniel, manager of Building and Neighborhood Services, told the commission the work was underway and should be completed within two weeks.

Based on this report, Commissioner John Yow and Chairman Neil Dillard voted against denying the license, saying they were concerned about the violations but wanted to renew the license assuming the work eliminated all outstanding violations.

Commissioner Richard Morris voted against renewing the license, saying the fact that the building had so many violations made him think the violations were a result of a lackadaisical attitude on the part of the owners.

One of my concerns was the number and type of violations and the apparent lack of concern for making the repairs to the building, he said. This has caused me to have concerns as to whether or not the license holder will have or maintain the responsibility for maintaining the structure.

Puthankatti said the reasons the violations went unrepaired in the past were financial hardship and bad weather, but said there would be more attention paid to maintenance in the future.

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Because the council could not break the deadlock, the license, which expired at midnight June 30, was not renewed.

Puthankatti could apply for a new license, but he would have to wait until August, when Commissioner Flanagan is expected to return, for the commission to act on the application.

The commission voted unanimously to renew the license of the Sports Center, 1215 E. Walnut, despite their concerns that the owner of the building refused to allow the city to inspect the bar during an unscheduled visit.

Each commissioner made it very clear, however, that they would vote against any establishment that refused inspection in the future.

The bar has been inspected since the incident, and there are no outstanding violations, according to McDaniel.

Scott Hendricks, attorney for the establishment, told the commission the inspection was stopped because the building owner wanted to be present for the inspection. He added that the owner is now aware the city

see INSPECTION, page 5