A Potential New Permit Rule Could Impact Bars in Orlando

Orlando commissioners recently debated ending after-midnight alcohol sales in the city’s downtown district in an effort to improve nightlife safety.

Euphoria

The city currently utilizes a permit system for after-midnight alcohol service, along with spending an extra $6 million on police downtown, according to the Orlando Business Journal.

Most Orlando commissioners are not in favor of ending after-midnight alcohol service downtown, despite the city exploring options to improve nightlife safety.

Meridian Bramble

Commissioners Patty Sheehan, Bakari Burns, Tony Ortiz, and Shan Rose indicated they were against shutting down after-midnight service during a workshop on May 19th. However, Sheehan did say she thought businesses needed to do more to help control the environment downtown after the clock strikes midnight.

Electron

Commissioners Robert Stuart and Jim Gray indicated that they are in favor of stopping alcohol sales from midnight to 2 AM. Still, Gray also commented that he was open to other ideas on how to continue after-midnight sales safely.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said he wanted to hear from commissioners and stakeholders before deciding on what comes next for after-midnight alcohol service.

Flora Southside

The workshop presented the most recent statistics to commissioners as the city considers new options for controlling issues with “the perception of crime downtown.” The Orlando City Council has already put several initiatives in place, including a permit requirement for businesses that serve alcohol after midnight and opening Orange Avenue to vehicle traffic on weekend nights after closing the street for pedestrians in the past.

Sparkling Cocktail Flight

An after-midnight service permit is tied to a business’s capacity and is used to help fund extra police officers downtown. It led to a legal challenge from several downtown nightlife businesses against the city and Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith, which is currently ongoing.

On average, Orlando has 81 to 131 police officers downtown on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Florida Beehive

The city cites its cost for more police at $6 million, with the after-midnight permit providing $1.6 million toward those costs and the city’s community redevelopment agency paying the rest. City officials are determining how it might absorb these costs, since the current budget comes from a pilot program and will eventually shift to a general fund.

Drinks!

Rose spoke to OBJ after the meeting and said she wanted to look at universal security standards for businesses downtown, in addition to figuring out ways to spread the permit cost beyond the largest venues, and Burns agreed.

“Several establishments have closed their doors with this after-midnight permit — they can’t afford it,” Rose said. The city has around 57 businesses with an active after-midnight permit.

Blueberry Mochi Berliner Weisse and Neon Rainbows IPA

Ortiz shared that he would like to see an increase in cameras downtown, with more technology like weapons detection cameras or thermal imaging to deter crime on city streets.

City staff will be holding meetings with stakeholders in the next few weeks that will include conversations with businesses, workers, and residents in the area. Since the May 19th meeting was a workshop, there was no public comment period.

Beringer Bros Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon

As of now, this initiative is only geared toward downtown Orlando, and we don’t anticipate it will impact Disney World. We’ll be on the lookout for additional updates from this potential change. In the meantime, stay tuned to DFB for more news!

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What do you think of this potential initiative? Let us know in the comments.