Columbia Council close to changing late-night bar law. Here's what it could look like
Bars that stake their business success on serving alcohol to underage drinkers should not survive under proposed changes to Columbia's late-night bar law, Mayor Steve Benjamin said Tuesday.
A proposal to change — but not do away with — Columbia's law allowing all-night permits for some bars came under scrutiny Tuesday both by those who have called for bars to close at 2 a.m. and from those who believe some bars should continue to be allowed to stay open all hours.
The bar-closing issue was raised earlier this year by some residents of neighborhoods including University Hill and Wales Garden, with concerns stemming specifically from late-night, alcohol-fueled behavior by college-aged revelers in Five Points, where the vast majority of late-night bars are located.
In an attempt at reaching some middle ground, City Council's public safety committee — consisting of councilmen Daniel Rickenmann, Sam Davis and Ed McDowell — offered a series of amendments to the city's existing late-night bar ordinance. They include:
- Raising the initial fee for an after-hours permit to $2,500, plus a $100 application fee. The current permit fee is $50. The annual renewal cost would be $1,000 for a bar that has had no legal citations the previous year. For bars that have received citations, renewal fees could rise as high as $10,000.
- Requiring bars to be in operation for at least two years before they are eligible to apply for an after-hours permit.
- Requiring bars to provide a copy of their food menus with their applications for after-hours permits and requiring them to serve food during all of their after-2 a.m. hours.
- Prohibiting bars from offering drink discounts after 2 a.m. Already, bars are allowed to serve only beer and wine, not liquor, past 2 a.m., per state law.
- Prohibiting bar owners from transferring their after-hours permits to new bar owners.
To Rickenmann, this proposal gives the city "teeth" to clamp down on problem bars without punishing responsible ones.
"This thing actually does make a difference," Rickenmann said of the proposed ordinance changes. "Is it perfect? No. Are we willing to listen? Yes. But let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater."
A 2 a.m. closing mandate is not an option on the table, Rickenmann said, despite some residents' insistence that anything less won't satisfy them.
Council members gave unanimous initial approval to the proposed changes, with the understanding that there will be further discussions and possible tweaks to the proposal before a final vote is taken. Councilman Howard Duvall, who originally proposed that all bars close at 2 a.m., has indicated he plans to suggest some changes.
In a pair of public hearings before council's vote Tuesday, opponents and proponents for an across-the-board 2 a.m. bar curfew llobbed many of the same arguments that have been discussed for months:
From the 2 a.m. side, a plea to protect the quality of life of residents living in Five Points-adjacent neighborhoods. The proposed ordinance changes won't improve enforcement of laws in the bar district or protect peace in the surrounding neighborhoods, several residents said.
From the all-night bars side, a continued insistence that closing bars earlier will not solve — and could possible exacerbate — neighbors' concerns and will negatively affect responsible businesses and responsible patrons.
Will Green, co-owner of The Whig on Main Street (one of three bars outside of Five Points that have all-night permits), took issue with the proposed requirement that bars must keep their kitchens running during all hours they serve alcohol. The Whig does not have a demand for food after about midnight or 1 a.m., Green said.
This story was originally published April 17, 2018 at 8:24 PM with the headline "Columbia Council close to changing late-night bar law. Here's what it could look like."