San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom proposes nightlife legislation

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom proposes nightlife legislation

4 March, 2008 | 10.24PM

• Section: Music News Topics: Beatport Blog
• Written by: PhilG

Today San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, with support from Supervisor Sophie Maxwell (District 10), introduced new legislation to regulate The City’s nightlife with the aim of curbing violent crime. Two of the four proposals are seen by those involved in the industry as being necessary amendments to existing legislation concerning after-hours clubs and the ability of the Entertainment Commission to deal with club-related issues, while two others, concerning loitering and the permitting of all promoters, are already generating controversy. 

The Mayor’s legislation comes as a result of a Nightlife Safety Summit in January that included high-level promoters, the police, members of the Entertainment Commission, and the city government. The summit was convened to address incidents of violent crime, including two shootings, that had occurred outside clubs in the previous months, but it can also be seen in the light of the Newsom administration’s need to address the larger issue of an increase in violent crime throughout the city.

According to a press release from the Mayor’s Office, there are four proposed ordinances:

1. The first ordinance would require promoters to obtain a permit before holding two or more events per calendar year, thus enabling the Police Department and other regulator agencies to know who is directly responsible for an event and hold them accountable for a security plan and any violations of health or safety rules.

2. The second ordinance amends existing law to tighten the permitting process, and grants emergency powers to the Director of Entertainment Commission to suspend permits for a variety of safety and noise violations.

3. The third ordinance clarifies the application requirements for Extended-Hours Premises Permits (premises which are open between 2-6a.m.), requiring these premises to create security plans, which the Executive Director of the Commission must approve.

4. The final ordinance makes it illegal to loiter within 10 feet of a club for more than 3 minutes. It only applies between 9p.m. and 3a.m. and does not apply to people waiting for a bus or other activity. A person must be warned before they can be cited.

According to a draft of the legislation provided by a source close to the Entertainment Commission, the promoter permit would require payment of an unspecified fee, listing of any misdemeanor crime convictions, and a hearing at which the police department would be allowed to raise objections to the permit.

A permit holder would also be required to have a million dollars of liability coverage, would be responsible for any actions within the club or within one hundred feet of the club that violate the penal code or aspects of the permit regulations, and would also be responsible for overseeing health and security during their events.

The loitering ordinance and the ordinance concerning the permitting of promoters are already being widely denounced within the nightlife community, and a broad-based coalition of activists, promoters, and lovers of nightlife is coming together in protest of them.

The proposed ordinances will be referred to a meeting of the Entertainment Commission for consideration, at which time public comment will be solicited.

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