Businesses mad about fee to uphold Downtown alcohol law

Kenneth Ma

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- The council’s approval of a plan to have a code

enforcement officer ensure compliance of a city law permitting Downtown

businesses to serve alcohol on public property has drawn stiff criticism

from merchants who will have to pay for it.A split City Council voted 4

to 3 to hire a part-time code enforcement officer who will be paid from a

new fee that will require businesses to pay $4 per square foot of public

space their tables and chairs occupy.

Council members Pam Julien, Dave Garofalo and Tom Harman cast

dissenting votes.

Businesses with outdoor dining will have to pay for the enforcement

officer whether or not they serve alcohol.

The fees may range from $160 to $1,600 for merchants, depending on the

size of the business, said Howard Zelefsky, the city’s planning director.

Last year, the council approved an ordinance that allows businesses to

serve alcohol to customers on public property as long as meals are

ordered. But no drinks can be served after 10 p.m., Zelefsky said.

Jane James, an associate city planner, said some businesses have

applied for permits to serve alcohol on public property, but none have

been issued so far.

“I think [the fee] is ridiculous,” said Michele Turner, owner of the

Sugar Shack on Main Street. “It is bad because I don’t want to increase

my prices.”

Turner said raising her restaurant’s prices would be unfair for the

customers.

If the council “is going to do it to Downtown businesses, they should

do it to the whole city,” said Turner, whose restaurant’s does not serve

alcohol.

Annelies Van Steembergen, co-owner of the Downtown Deli, said the

added cost of paying for a code enforcement officer will have a

detrimental effect on her business because her rent is already high.

“I just opened seven months ago, and I don’t see how I can survive by

paying more,” said Van Steembergen, whose business also does not serve

alcohol. “If I have to pay more, I would have to close my doors.”

Van Steembergen said she plans to write letters to the city and

council members expressing her views..

Ron McLin, general manager of Longboard Restaurant, said the city

already has an enforcement officer regulating outdoor dining rules, which

includes having businesses stay within the blue line. The line sets a

boundary on the physical limits to which a business can have outdoor

dining on public property.

“Now they are adding another officer because of the alcohol thing,”

said McLin, whose restaurant serves alcohol. “If they are going to bump

up the fee, use it for something practical, such as street sweeping and

cleaning trash, instead of having a someone watching us.”