CEDAR KEY BAR OWNERS, WORKERS DEFEND 2 AM CLOSING TIME

Not quite standing-room-only, but City Hall was pretty full for this month`s regular meeting of the Cedar Key City Commission Tuesday evening, August 21, at City Hall.

A glance down the meeting`s printed agenda included three possible hit topics: under Fire Department business, a proposal to remove the parade truck from the Cedar Key Fire Department Inventory; under Police Department business, discussions regarding earlier closing times for bars and a local prohibition to keep golf carts off sidewalks.

It was the bar closing issue that had drawn the crowd, and interested parties sat through some eight earlier agenda items before it was Police Chief Virgil Sandlin`s turn to address the commissioners. Chief Virgil explained that an increase in late-night public disturbance calls to the police department had prompted his proposal that the present 2 am closing time be moved up to 1 am. In fact, he said, he had intended to suggest a midnight closing, but Big Deck owner Bryan Skarupski convinced him not to ask for a change greater than one hour.

In response to a question from Commissioner Sue Colson, Chief Virgil said that since January of this year the police department had received about 20 late night calls from Dock Street. Commissioner Colson agreed that that number seemed larger than she recalled from past years. She asked that going forward commissioners be provided regular reports of police department calls, so that trends can be spotted early and addressed.

Speaking for employees of the bars, John Hathcox Jr. pointed out that a lot of people working in Cedar Key count on that extra hour. "If you`re going to take that away, you may as well put a gate at the #4 bridge."

Owners and managers of Dock Street`s Black Dog Bar and of the Seabreeze Restaurant, while disputing any necessary cause-and-effect relationship between closing times and street disturbance, asked for more time in which to work with the police department to address solutions before any move to an earlier closing time. The four commissioners present - in addition to Commissioner Colson, Mayor Gene Hodges, Commissioner Dale Register, and (by telephone) Commissioner Scott Dennison - concurred.

With respect to golf carts, Chief Virgil explained that state law permits golf carts on sidewalks, and Cedar Key golf cart vendors have advised renters that they may drive and park on sidewalks. However, the city can impose stricter regulations, and Chief Virgil requested that the city ordinance be amended to keep golf carts off sidewalks. The commissioners agreed unanimously.

Fire Chief Robert Robinson related the history of the Cedar Key Fire Department`s "parade truck," which was purchased in 1969 and retired in 2003 after 35 years of firefighting. Longtime volunteer fireman James McCain has developed an educational program for children using the out-of-service fire truck, and the truck is a popular feature of city parades.

As a budgetary move, Chief Robert recommended removing the fire truck from the department inventory - but, rather than junking the vehicle, he proposed that the city award the truck to James McCain. Mr. James would be free to continue the children`s program if he wished but would be under no obligation to do so.

Also as part of the fire department report, Chief Robert commented on recent press reports speculating that the Levy County Commission might move to merge the Cedar Key and Rosewood fire departments. Chief Robert doesn`t expect the county commission to take action in the near future. He urged Cedar Key residents to check with him directly regarding further reports.

Heath Davis, speaking from the floor, recommended that the Cedar Key City Commission be actively involved in the county commission deliberations. Commissioner Dennison reported that he has accompanied Chief Robert to county meetings and expects to continue to do so.