No more bars in Mankato for a year, the City Council decided Monday, in an effort to control the saturation of downtown bars while devising a long-term strategy to fight crime and nuisance violations.
The council agreed unanimously with City Manager Pat Hentges, who asked for a one-year “time out” for the second time in two years.
And, unlike the 3 to 3 tie in late 2005, the council gave him little trouble, asking only a handful of questions.
Bar licenses can still be transferred, and a new bar can come to town if one leaves, but the total number of bars will remain at 19.
Seven people testified at the public hearing, all in favor of the moratorium.
Roger Gilbert, a North Mankato pastor and police chaplain, recently went on his first ride-along with police at bar closing time. He saw four different altercations and called it “absolutely amazing.”
“I believe our city has a drinking problem,” he said.
Pat Swatfager-Haney, vice president for student affairs at Minnesota State University, told the council about the school’s support of the moratorium. She said not all bar patrons are students, but that the school considers itself a partner with the city on this issue.
The move to the 2 a.m. bar closing time and the popularity of drink specials contributes to alcohol problems, she said.
The brother of the owner of the Sidelines Bar and Grill asked the council what would happen if the business receives less than 60 percent of its revenue from food, a requirement of a restaurant license.
Hentges said it would then be granted a bar license.
Councilman Mark Frost then asked what would stop a bar from applying for a restaurant license and then being given a bar license.
Hentges replied that the city won’t treat these cases with the leniency it has in the past. New restaurant licenses will stipulate that failure to meet the food sale requirement could mean that it won’t get a renewal.
Mayor John Brady and Councilman Charlie Hurd were absent from the meeting.
During the moratorium, the city will study ways to correct the problems associated with the late-night crowd. That will include looking at drink specials, server training and liquor licensing procedures.
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