While many students may be doing the majority of their drinking at home rather than on the streets of downtown Madison this summer, city officials have made many decisions affecting alcohol policy this summer.

In a move that avoided the closure of downtown liquor stores such as Badger Liquor and Riley’s Wines of the World, the City Council voted to renew a majority of the liquor licenses belonging to the legally-embattled Lee family.

Hyungirl and Jongyeong Lee who own Riley’s, Badger Liquor, the Church Key, Samba Brazilian Steakhouse and Brickhouse BBQ, both faced tax fraud charges that sent both of them to prison and caused some city officials to threaten the revocation of their liquor licenses.

In June, the council voted to conditionally renew the licenses of all Lee-owned businesses except The Vineyard, a location with a history of underage violations.

If the council had voted against renewal of the licenses, the Lees’ businesses would have been forced to close, likely after July 1. Many council members were opposed to such a sudden change.

“It would be a big deal and a tremendous mistake if we shuttered all of these licenses on July 1,” Alcohol License Review Committee member and Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, told the council.

However, the council decided to suspend the Riley’s license from Jan. 23 through Feb. 1, 2011, while both Badger Liquor and Church Key will face suspensions in February 2011.

The license renewal was controversial among some council members; Ald. Bridget Maniaci, District 2, voted against renewing all Lee-affiliated licenses except those for Samba and Brickhouse BBQ. She cited precedent as the main reason for her decision.

“I can’t support allowing these licenses to go forward considering what has happened with these owners on multiple occasions,” Maniaci said. “If we go forward with this, we’re rewarding not just bad behavior but criminally offensive behavior.”

In addition to the renewal of the Lees’ licenses, the council unanimously voted at a July meeting to change the rules for selling alcohol to habitual alcoholics in the downtown area.

Verveer said the council decided to adopt an ordinance that would place Madison residents with a number of trips to detox or police contacts on a list, preventing them from buying alcohol at establishments like liquor stores.

The ordinance, Verveer said, will only apply to retail establishments, and city officials estimate approximately 20 individuals would be on the list at one time. He added the problem has been particularly acute downtown.

“We know this isn’t going to end alcoholism in Madison,” Verveer said. “But it seems to me the more difficult we make access to alcohol for some individuals will hopefully encourage some of them to seek treatment that they need.”

The council also voted to strike down a proposal that would have created a sober server law, which Verveer said was well-intended, but would have restricted local businesses too much.

Throughout the coming semester, Verveer said the ALRC and City Council will likely renew the city’s downtown alcohol license density ordinance with added provisions to increase downtown entertainment options.