Although the majority of the city council agreed to extend the operational hours of nightclubs and event centers on the weekends, the amended ordinance is not yet in effect.
Alderman Aubry Brent Jr. said some business owners called him concerned about police officers shutting their night spots down during late hours. However, Brent said they cannot remain open past midnight until the ordinance amendment follows through the timely legal process.
“People were upset because officers came along and shut them down,” Brent said, during the Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting. “They were talking about how rude the officers were, and they made the DJ stop playing and put them all out.”
The amendment to the ordinance states that nightclubs and event centers may remain open until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. But the process is not complete.
“Once we voted on the ordinance to extend the hours on Friday and Saturday then that same ordinance comes back before us to vote on it again,” Brent said. “Once it is voted on again, then it has to be published in the paper for 30 days. After that time, the ordinance will go in effect. A lot of them were under the assumption that the 30-days had passed. But it doesn’t work that way. There is a process we have to follow.”
Brent said he wanted the amendment to be in effect over the Fourth of July holiday celebrations. But that will not be the case.
“Time wouldn’t allow us to do that,” he said. “We have to follow the process and let those 30 days pass. At some juncture, when that time passes, then we will be able to extend their hours.”
Brent said he wanted the business owners to understand the process.
“The officers are not just going and shutting them down,” Brent said. “They are thinking the ordinance has changed. It has not changed until we go through this process.”
