Sarasota News Leader

09/13/2103

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Sarasota News Leader September 13, 2013 OPINION Last week we reported on the city's ongoing game of "cat and mouse" with these bar owners. These particular establishments will open their doors — with the music playing loudly — and station a monitor out front. At the first sight of a uniformed police officer, the monitor will close the doors and drop the music level so it is within compliance of the city's Noise Ordinance. Then, as soon as the officer has left the area, the doors will reopen and the music level will rocket back to its former loud level. Page 92 other establishments to find a middle ground on the noise issue. Fortunately, the city appears to have reached the end of its patience with these renegade bars. Staff and the City Commission have begun to look into ways to curtail this lawless response to the regulations. While we do not often agree with Mayor Shannon Snyder's proposals, we think his suggestion that service of alcoholic beverages could be cut off at 11 p.m. has merit. That would rob This is the worst possible course of action the bars of the "fuel" that drives their business late at night, which if a compromise over noise levels and opalso gives rise to their erating hours is to be These scofflaw bar owners have thoughtless defiance achieved. Nothing will decided that their selfish interests trump all of the noise ordinance. galvanize the downothers, and their actions make a mockery Most establishments town condo residents of both existing regulations and the honest would not be unduly as much as excessive efforts of other establishments to find a penalized by such a noise that flouts exmiddle ground on the noise issue. move, but those that isting regulations, enserve primarily alcosuring that the proverbial "pitchforks and holic beverages essentorches" show up at every City Commission tially would be forced to close by 11 p.m. if meeting. sales had to cease at that hour. And if they are Every reasonable request for some modera- not open, they are not playing loud music that tion of the existing regulations will be beaten disturbs others. back by this inflexible opposition, and rightSarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino also fully so. suggested revoking the liquor licenses of busiBut apparently these scofflaw bar owners care nesses continually in violation of the Noise little about the atmosphere of downtown or Ordinance. The problem we see with that proreasonable coexistence. They have decided that their selfish interests trump all others, posal is that the police are having difficulty and their actions make a mockery of both citing these errant bar owners for violations, existing regulations and the honest efforts of because of the game of "cat and mouse."

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