City officials hope a proposed entertainment ordinance will reduce rowdiness, fighting and excess noise in the Carlsbad Village while still allowing people to have a good time listening to music, dancing and socializing.
Carlsbad Police Department Capt. Mike Shipley is overseeing the drafting of an ordinance that will address persistent problems in the Village, particularly on weekend nights, without harming businesses that cater to the nighttime crowd.
The ordinance would replace the city's existing cabaret law, and provide such benchmarks as permissible noise levels, hours of operation, training required for employees and mandatory security for establishments where dancing is permitted.
Shipley said the issue first came to his attention about two years ago, when his officers began reporting increased levels of public intoxication, fights resulting in injuries and people passed out in doorways in the Village area.
“The real issue was we were having (sic) people being injured in fights and ending up in the hospital,” Shipley said.
About a year ago, Carlsbad Mayor “Bud” Lewis convened a meeting with the owners of downtown entertainment-related businesses, asking them to come up with ways to reduce such problems. Although the situation did improve, Shipley said the Carlsbad City Council subsequently decided to draft a more comprehensive solution through a new entertainment ordinance.
The proposed ordinance would require businesses with live entertainment, such as a band or disc jockey, and those with dancing, to obtain an entertainment license for a yearly fee of $200. The city estimates that about 20 businesses citywide would be affected by the new ordinance, which will likely come before the city council for consideration this summer.
Violations of the ordinance, including maximum occupancy limits, would result in suspension or revocation of the establishment's entertainment license. When an overcrowding situation occurs, the person in charge of the premises could also be subjected to a citation.
Shipley said the city is working with business owners to craft an ordinance that makes sense. The dialogue between the city and business owners has been beneficial.
The idea is for businesses to prevent fights or other problems that require police involvement, Shipley said.
Under the ordinance, servers and bartenders would go through training that would help them detect when a patron is inebriated and should not be served alcohol. In addition, establishments with a dance floor would be required to have at least one security guard on duty, and more than one in some cases.
The ordinance also seeks to address noise complaints from nearby residents. As written, the ordinance sets a limit of 65 decibels for noise coming from entertainment establishments. Officers have a meter which they will use to measure sound levels. However, the stickiest issue regards where the sound measurements should be made.
Scientific studies have found that a normal conversation can generate 60 decibels of sound, while a motorcycle at 30 feet measures 88 decibels, and a rock band at six feet generates 120 decibels. Factors such as walls, distance and even weather conditions can impact decibel readings, Shipley said.
The city is working with a sound engineer to determine exactly how and where sound readings should be taken, and once that issue is resolved, the entertainment ordinance will be ready to go before the City Council, possibly in August or September.
According to Shipley, the city continually strives to improve safety and quality of life for residents in number of ways, whether improving traffic circulation or addressing noise and rowdiness downtown.
“This is an issue we think we can do better on for the citizens, and provide a higher quality of life. People want to go down (to the Village) and have a good time, but they don't want to be threatened,” Shipley said.
Carlsbad Police Department Capt. Mike Shipley is overseeing the drafting of an ordinance that will address persistent problems in the Village, particularly on weekend nights, without harming businesses that cater to the nighttime crowd.
The ordinance would replace the city's existing cabaret law, and provide such benchmarks as permissible noise levels, hours of operation, training required for employees and mandatory security for establishments where dancing is permitted.
Shipley said the issue first came to his attention about two years ago, when his officers began reporting increased levels of public intoxication, fights resulting in injuries and people passed out in doorways in the Village area.
“The real issue was we were having (sic) people being injured in fights and ending up in the hospital,” Shipley said.
About a year ago, Carlsbad Mayor “Bud” Lewis convened a meeting with the owners of downtown entertainment-related businesses, asking them to come up with ways to reduce such problems. Although the situation did improve, Shipley said the Carlsbad City Council subsequently decided to draft a more comprehensive solution through a new entertainment ordinance.
The proposed ordinance would require businesses with live entertainment, such as a band or disc jockey, and those with dancing, to obtain an entertainment license for a yearly fee of $200. The city estimates that about 20 businesses citywide would be affected by the new ordinance, which will likely come before the city council for consideration this summer.
Violations of the ordinance, including maximum occupancy limits, would result in suspension or revocation of the establishment's entertainment license. When an overcrowding situation occurs, the person in charge of the premises could also be subjected to a citation.
Shipley said the city is working with business owners to craft an ordinance that makes sense. The dialogue between the city and business owners has been beneficial.
The idea is for businesses to prevent fights or other problems that require police involvement, Shipley said.
Under the ordinance, servers and bartenders would go through training that would help them detect when a patron is inebriated and should not be served alcohol. In addition, establishments with a dance floor would be required to have at least one security guard on duty, and more than one in some cases.
The ordinance also seeks to address noise complaints from nearby residents. As written, the ordinance sets a limit of 65 decibels for noise coming from entertainment establishments. Officers have a meter which they will use to measure sound levels. However, the stickiest issue regards where the sound measurements should be made.
Scientific studies have found that a normal conversation can generate 60 decibels of sound, while a motorcycle at 30 feet measures 88 decibels, and a rock band at six feet generates 120 decibels. Factors such as walls, distance and even weather conditions can impact decibel readings, Shipley said.
The city is working with a sound engineer to determine exactly how and where sound readings should be taken, and once that issue is resolved, the entertainment ordinance will be ready to go before the City Council, possibly in August or September.
According to Shipley, the city continually strives to improve safety and quality of life for residents in number of ways, whether improving traffic circulation or addressing noise and rowdiness downtown.
“This is an issue we think we can do better on for the citizens, and provide a higher quality of life. People want to go down (to the Village) and have a good time, but they don't want to be threatened,” Shipley said.