05052009 Regular Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Introduction During the November 4, 2008 election, voters approved 22 charter amendments and 1 non-binding referendum. The non-binding referendum authorizes the City Council to adopt an ordinance extending the hours for the sale of alcoholic beverages to 2 a.m. State law sets out the current hours for the sale of alcohol, ending at 12:00 midnight Monday through Friday and 1:00 a.m. on Saturday night/ Sunday morning. These hours can be changed to 2:00 a.m. by City ordinance. In response to the election results, the City Council appointed the Extended Bar Hours Task Force at their December 2, 2008 workshop. City Council direction was to start a committee composed of two City Council Members, Chris Jones and John Thomaides, along with City Manager Rick Menchaca and City Attorney Michael Cosentino. The initial Task Force Members met on February 13, 2009 and agreed upon a list of other members who represent different areas of the community to also serve on the committee. The goal of the Task Force is to develop a process for review and consideration of extending bar hours and ensure a smooth transition if 2 a.m. bar closing is implemented. The full Task Force held their first meeting on February 27, 2009 to begin looking into all aspects of 2 a.m. bar closing. The Task Force met again on March 27, 2009; April 10, 2009; and April 24, 2009 to formulate and discuss the list of recommendations. Throughout their meetings, the Task Force identified the major considerations that require analysis and review if 2 a.m. bar closing is implemented. The areas identified are as follows: Public Safety, Transportation, Parking, Conditional Use Permits, and Public Education. Each of these components is further discussed in this report. Major Considerations Transportation Taxi & Limousine Ordinances The Task Force discussed taxi services currently available Downtown. There are two cab companies that provide taxi service in San Marcos. The Police Chief talked with one of the cab companies about making changes if 2 a.m. bar closing is implemented. The owner said he might add another vehicle if there was a demand but said there is not enough business to commit to stay open past 7 p.m. The taxi ordinance prohibits them from trolling and only requires them to be available until 7 p.m. Anything different would require a City ordinance change. The companies cannot refuse service to an orderly customer. The Task Force suggested that a note be sent out to Downtown bar and restaurant owners that if a cab company refuses service to one of their customers, please notify the City. Recommendation: The Task Force agreed to recommend that the City Council revise the taxi and limousine ordinances and asked staff to meet with Hays County about using an area of their parking lot for taxis, limousines and SWAT.