Agenda Packets - 2003/08/11 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Mounds View City Council July 14, 2003 Regular Meeting Page 14 1 Council Member Stigney indicated that he does not feel that Council is soliciting public 2 information and comment on the issue so he does not support it at this time. 3 4 Mayor Linke indicated that public comment would be taken at the public hearing. 5 6 Council Member Stigney indicated that the public hearing is the legal minimum that is required 7 but he is talking about going out and notifying residents so he takes offense to the legal 8 minimum. 9 10 Kent Reed of 2833 County Road H indicated that he thinks Council should solicit public 11 comment. He then commented that this 2:00 a.m. closing was brought forth by the state 12 legislature to promote tourism and he does not see the benefit for the City. He finished his 13 comments by saying that “nothing good happens after midnight anyway” as his parents used to 14 tell him. 15 16 Rick, the Operations Director for Jake’s Restaurant addressed Council and indicated that not 17 being able to be open until 2:00 a.m. harms them not because of the money they lose from 1:00 18 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. but because customers will leave at 11:00 or 12:00 to go somewhere that is 19 open until 2:00 a.m. and that would hurt their business. He further commented that they are 20 intending to make more improvements to their business to expand but really need the City’s 21 support of the 2:00 a.m. closing in order to make it feasible for them to do so. 22 23 Council Member Stigney indicated that taxpayer money would be used to allow the 2:00 a.m. 24 closing. He then said that there are an additional 50 state highway patrol if the required number 25 of bars sign up for the later closing but those are not within the metro area so the City picks up 26 the extra costs for allowing the later closing. He further commented that there has been some 27 concern that the City will incur additional overtime charges due to the way shift change is set up 28 and, if someone picks up a DUI suspect they have to stay to finish processing. 29 30 Council Member Marty commented that Council approved partnering with Ramsey County for 31 the safe and sober program and there should be grant money available through that program. He 32 then said he had discussed the matter with Mr. Ericson and there is the possibility of adjusting 33 policing shifts and raising licensing fees to cover the additional costs. 34 35 Mr. Sonterre suggested tabling this debate for further research. He then said that he would like to 36 know what happens in other cities that approve the later closing and what is approved. He 37 further commented that the argument made at the state level was that the intoxicated people 38 would filter out over a longer period of time rather than the later closing increasing the number of 39 intoxicated people. But, only time will tell. 40 41 MOTION/SECOND: Stigney/Gunn. To Postpone This Matter Until there is Information from 42 Adjacent Cities on What is Approved and How that Impacts those Cities. 43 44 Ayes 2 (Stigney/Quick) Nays – 3(Linke/Marty/Gunn) Motion failed. 45