Regulating nightlife is no three-beer idea

Mayor Greg Nickels' proposal to regulate the businesses behind Seattle's vibrant nightlife will not ruin the party.

Vibrant is a popular word to describe the city's club and music scenes and that is the way everyone wants to keep them. Details remain to quibble over, and the cooperation of the bars, taverns and nightclubs is vital, but the result should not threaten the industry. The mayor got involved last year after violent episodes in two clubs, which eventually lost their licenses. He formed a task force in October 2005 to address the violence, but the scope of the club owners, neighborhood businesses and residents wisely got broader.

Reduced to its essence, the legislation sent to the Seattle City Council is about noise, trash and crowds — a structured effort to make clubs mindful of their impact on their neighbors.

Holding owners responsible for the safety of their patrons is fundamental and is part of the proposed ordinance. Doing so requires vigilant club management and support from the police. Flooding entertainment districts with cops is no solution on its own. Clubs ought to have options for providing security.

Certainly, clubs must be held accountable for behavior on their property. One important element is overcrowding, and the ordinance sees adherence to occupancy limits as a significant public-safety factor. Crowd size, alcohol service and hours of operation will determine who is covered by the law. As many as 300 establishments fit the broadest definition of the law.

The ordinance is a comprehensive substitute for an earlier attempt to negotiate club-by-club agreements with community groups. The spirit remains the same: creation of good neighbors.

Noise looms large. Obnoxious amplified music will be measured by duration and distance and limited by what is described as clearly defined levels. Trash is another sore point. Clubs will have to tidy up outside in the wake of sloppy patrons at closing and again before 8 a.m.

Establishments will have to answer public complaints within 24 hours. Rule violations are subject to fines and suspensions. An advisory board is available to mediate disputes between clubs and neighbors.

City Hall must be reasonable too. The bureaucracy has to be staffed to make it work. Once establishments have their nightlife premise license and follow the rules, the annual reapplication should not be complicated, time-consuming or expensive.

Seattle is a great place to live, work and thrive. And have a good time. Rules that curb the worst behavior will attract more people to the party.