The Point Beach Council narrowly rejected an effort Tuesday night to keep the current 2 a.m. closing time at local bars.
Instead, an ordinance that imposes a midnight closing time will go into effect on July 1 (see attached PDF).
The council voted 3-2 to not give bars the option to pay a fee, based on maximum occupancy, to stay open until 2 a.m.
Councilmembers William Mayer and Stephen Reid voted in favor of giving bars the option to stay open until 2 a.m. Councilmember Tim Lurie was absent. Councilmembers Bret Gordon, Michael Corbally and Kristine Tooker voted no.
"A lot of people in this town are going to be hurt by this," Reid said before casting his vote to approve the amendment. Before voting he also questioned attorney Sean Gertner as to whether or not the amendment was actually lawful — a question the councilmember previously asked at an earlier meeting.
Gertner maintained the motion was "enforceable," despite a May 14 letter from the Department of Community Affairs to Mayor Vincent Barrella, which said the ordinance "may be unlawful."
During April and May, the town and boardwalk businesses had several private negotiation sessions, with the hope that an agreement could avert the need for earlier bar closings.
Jenkinson's and Martell's offered a joint payment of $160,000 per year for five years, totalling to $800,000, and then the arrangement would be re-visited.
But Barrella said despite actions to try to resolve things without the earlier closings, businesses rejected the option of instituting earlier last calls, disallowing stackable drinks and better monitoring alcohol consumption.
"We need to realize it's not a pro-boardwalk or pro-resident issue. We're one town," Mayer said. "We're a tourism town, and it needs to be controlled, not shut down. The impact that this will have on our economy is extreme."
Point Beach resident Robert Dixon said if the town closes the bars earlier, it will end up shutting the whole town down after midnight. "If no one wants to come here because there is nothing to do here anymore, you're limiting the access of our town," he said.
Barrella said the earlier closings are a result of people being "unwilling to make adjustments to avoid the problems. I think it will enhance our tourism business and bring families back. But people are making every effort to sabotage what we're trying to accomplish."
Gordon made note of the "record number of arrests" made over Memorial Day Weekend: 226 arrests, 180 borough violations, up from 144 in 2011; and 46 criminal violations, up from 44 the year before.
Jenkinson's and Martell's have appealed last month's ordinance to close bars at midnight. They filed the appeal with the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control and now the town has an opportunity to respond to the appeal.
The two largest boardwalk bars have argued all along that closing the bars at midnight will unfairly hurt their businesses.
You know we live under a capitalist economic system. . .those businesses and their expansions did/do provide jobs for 'blindbert' and Corbally...a long with a lot others, past and present? Not to mention all the money that goes to Trenton coming back as school aid and grants over the years. . .Barrellas' probably jumping out of his chair again... decrying the measly trinkets the town gets. . . Again Thanks
is there any police reports of people crapping on the lawn of D4 properties?? I read the local paper daily while crapping on a toilet and dont seem to remember this?? any when my business is slow or not in the peak of the season...I cut my staff back and make adjustments to my business... does the town seem to not treat it like a business..?? or has bad decisions put them backed up into a corner? because I cant say that my parents in the 80's didnt frequent the shore from New Brunswick and I am sure kids acted up/ got drunk and did stupid things....and yes there was Bennys in the 70's and 80s 90's and 2000's but now its becoming a problem? if you think the town is in the RED right now...wait until the lawsuits fly and the tax dollars drop..and they try to impose new charges and fees for other parts of the towns business's to compensate for raise increases and mis managing the "Business" of PPB
Despite what Councilman Corbally, Spooner, and Mr. Happy have written above, PPB, even though a Borough, can have a binding referendum on the closing time of bars just like Belmar did. The statute that authorizes this procedure is N.J.S.A. 33:1-47.1. Anyone can look it up, ask any lawyer you know. The pertinent part of the statute says: “33:1-47.1. Municipal referendum on hours of retail sales Whenever a petition, signed by at least fifteen per centum (15%) of the qualified electors of any municipality as evidenced by the total number of votes cast at the then next preceding general election, held for the election of all of the members of the General Assembly in such” The words any municipality deliberately and explicitly includes all New Jersey forms of municipal government.
Despite what Councilman Corbally, Spooner, and Mr. Happy have written above, PPB, even though a Borough, can have a binding referendum on the closing time of bars just like Belmar did. The statute that authorizes this procedure is N.J.S.A. 33:1-47.1. Anyone can look it up, ask any lawyer you know. The pertinent part of the statute says: “33:1-47.1. Municipal referendum on hours of retail sales Whenever a petition, signed by at least fifteen per centum (15%) of the qualified electors of any municipality as evidenced by the total number of votes cast at the then next preceding general election, held for the election of all of the members of the General Assembly in such” The words any municipality deliberately and explicitly includes all New Jersey forms of municipal government.
Despite what Councilman Corbally, Spooner, and Mr. Happy have written above, PPB, even though a Borough, can have a binding referendum on the closing time of bars just like Belmar did. The statute that authorizes this procedure is N.J.S.A. 33:1-47.1. Anyone can look it up, ask any lawyer you know. The pertinent part of the statute says: “33:1-47.1. Municipal referendum on hours of retail sales Whenever a petition, signed by at least fifteen per centum (15%) of the qualified electors of any municipality as evidenced by the total number of votes cast at the then next preceding general election, held for the election of all of the members of the General Assembly in such” The words any municipality deliberately and explicitly includes all New Jersey forms of municipal government.
John 57: "From what I hear a police director handles all this." Did you hear this from Spooner? ---There is no police director in PPB. Oh, and Thanks for pointing out my typo on the date, but alas son, you are WAY out of your league. Stick with the dwarf stuff!
...This expansion was first approved in 1979 and has been renewed each year thereafter under authority of N.J.S.A. 33:1-19. Petitioner, Harborhead Condominium Assoc. Inc., a near neighbor of the North Pavillion site, maintains that these approvals have been improper and now seeks review before the Director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control... ...so were the approvals improper since 1979? http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/collections/oal/html/initial/abc6327-09_1.html
I think it was a mistake. . .But unfortunately the guy who was pushing it...in one breath you read. . .how he complemented Frank Storino at Jenkinsons late Saturday night...and...I guess. . .while he knew the bar closing resolution was going to be on the Tuesday nights agenda. . .Him the chief spokesman promoting it. . .an act of betrayal...putting a knife in Storino's back? http://www.pointpleasantbeach.org/news.php?action=fullnews&id=1257