Database, team to help city track trouble at clubs

Reacting to neighborhood complaints about booze-fueled problems associated with nightclubs, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels said Wednesday the city will establish a permanent team to inspect clubs and ensure they are complying with rules.

The city also will create a database to track problems at clubs. And Nickels announced the appointment of a 14-member task force to research how other cities have resolved nightclub issues and recommend changes here.

Nickels said the actions were not spurred by any one incident, though his announcement follows a high-profile Oct. 17 brawl in Pioneer Square involving Seattle Seahawks player Ken Hamlin, who was severely injured.

"A vibrant nightlife shouldn't mean a violent nightlife," said Nickels, flanked by City Councilman Nick Licata and Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske at a morning news conference.

A recent city report detailed numerous problems at 85 establishments in the Pioneer Square, Belltown and Queen Anne neighborhoods visited by a team of city inspectors. The problems ranged from overserving of alcohol to fire-code violations and inadequate ID checks.

The report was compiled by the Joint Assessment Team, a pilot project that sent teams of police, firefighters and licensing inspectors to examine the clubs. The state Liquor Control Board also participated, but only for one of 14 nights that inspections took place.

Nickels said that team will be made permanent and extended to other parts of the city.

Findings from those inspections will be combined with information from Liquor Board inspections in a new city database, which will be used to detect problem clubs early.

Meanwhile, a 14-member task force will meet to recommend ways to resolve community concerns about clubs and bars. The group is evenly split between neighborhood representatives and nightclub and bar owners.

Jim Brunner: 206-515-5628 or jbrunner@seattletimes.com