MJP –
Fairbanks, Alaska: On Monday, the six-person Fairbanks City Council prepared to renew Mecca Bar’s liquor license for the second time in two weeks, and the chambers were filled.
The council decided to waive the local protest on Mecca’s proposal after a half-hour of public comment, voting 6-0.
This judgment nullifies a vote taken at the normal council meeting on September 9th, when four out of the five members present chose to oppose the renewal. Protests like these let the state’s AMCB know that they have problems with a licensee’s operations.
Several council members voiced concerns about crowds gathering on the sidewalk outside the bar at the meeting on September 9. They cited a report from the Fairbanks Police Department that showed 33 dispatches to the area in the previous year to back up their claims.
At that meeting, only Councilmember June Rogers voted to waive the protest, and Councilmember John Ringstad was excused.
Not for long was that vote unchallenged. The following day, on September 10, Councilmember Lonny Marney rescheduled the vote by moving for reconsideration.
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About thirty individuals spoke out in support of the 79-year-old business at Monday’s meeting.
Niki Cserni, a bartender at Mecca, said to the council that the design of the city is a factor in why people occasionally gather on the sidewalks outside the pub.
It is not the Mecca that makes Second Avenue their hangout. They congregate on Second Avenue because to the attractive storefronts. [A]lcoves are there. The wind isn’t blowing them. Cserni explained that this area might potentially harness building heat.
Jodi Blakley, owner of Mecca, stated that her worker’s compensation insurance does not extend to places outside of the bar itself, further limiting the authority of the Mecca personnel to deal with those groups.
Since the street in question is a public access way and not Blakley’s property, the business owner expressed his concern about the safety of his employees there.
According to Cserni, who made the comment, the staff at Mecca Bar are afraid that if they call the police, it will look bad on the company when their liquor license is up for renewal.
Claiming that the idea that informing police of an issue would result in such consequences is “incredibly false,” Councilmember Crystal Tidwell drew the attention of the elected leaders to that reasoning.
Marney also wanted to reassure the present Mecca employees that they should contact the authorities anytime they felt the need.
Mayor David Pruhs of the City of Fairbanks swung the gavel to try to quiet the chamber after several audience members made audible replies that seemed to disagree with the council’s answers during the exchange.
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In the course of the hearing, numerous members of the public shared anecdotes regarding owner Jodi Blakley’s fondness for community involvement. However, the majority of the speakers focused on the perceived lack of mental health facilities in Fairbanks and the excessive police presence downtown.
“There is a problem on the sidewalk, and I would not construe all this support for the Mecca tonight to say there is no issue on the sidewalk,” said David Van den Berg, executive director of the Downtown Association. “And I believe everyone has articulated beautifully to everything that contributes to its realization.”
Following the close of public discussion, the council proceeded to a brief period of debate, following which a unanimous vote was reached.
As far as I’m concerned, this is not ‘their problem.’ “We consider it a ‘our problem,'” Ringstad replied. “And we must ensure that they continue to operate and carry out their activities.”
Even though AMCO retains ultimate decision-making authority over the application, the decision-making process will now proceed without local opposition.
How wonderful. “Fantastic,” Blakley said when asked about her thoughts on the meeting’s conclusion. I think we’ve begun a journey that, with any luck, will go on.
The idea that Marney and Councilmember Sue Sprinkle will introduce a bill to mandate that the city inform business owners when council hearings of their license(s) are scheduled to be held was reiterated Monday. The procedure has not been followed before, and Blakley expressed her desire to “would love to help” in creating the required resolution or ordinance on Monday.
