MAHOMET – If voters approve a ballot question on April 17 ending prohibition in Mahomet, the village expects to have a liquor ordinance in place within a month.

The village board has asked its attorney, Jim Evans, to draw up a proposed liquor ordinance.

Village Administrator Mell Smigielski said the ordinance will be based upon others in effect in St. Joseph, Champaign, Urbana and Monticello.

"We wanted to get a feel for what the other communities do before we draw up our own ordinance," Smigielski said.

The proposed ordinance would determine what kind of liquor licenses would be offered, how many licenses would be created and what to charge for liquor license fees.

"At this point, we have no number attached as to how many licenses will be available," Smigielski said. "We will have so many package liquor licenses and a certain number of restaurant licenses. We need to decide whether to have separate hotel and club liquor licenses."

The ordinance will also set standards for the location of businesses with liquor licenses. For example, no business within 100 feet of a church or a school would be allowed to have a liquor license.

Smigielski said that Mayor Deb Braunig, who would serve as the liquor commissioner, would likely appoint an advisory committee to give her guidance on liquor-related matters. The members of the committee would need to be ratified by the full village board.

If the ballot question passes, Smigielski said the village board would likely vote on the ordinance at its May 22 meeting.

Smigielski said the trustees' vote will take place in May so that the village board members who get elected in April will be able to vote on the ordinance.

If the ballot question does not pass, Smigielski said the ordinance probably would be scrapped.

"We're taking a chance of doing some work before the vote to be wet takes place," Smigielski said. "We feel it is important to be proactive."

Lee Jessup of the Mahomet Chamber of Commerce, who put the question on the ballot, said that chamber members plan to distribute fliers and postcards to voters to remind them to vote on April 17.

Jessup said the group had received about $300 so far for what he called an election education campaign.

"We're a month away from the election," Jessup said. "If it doesn't pass, we will need to take a step back to focus on what the community needs."