Nightclub measures don't get Nickels' signature

Two bills passed by the City Council won't reduce violence in and around nightclubs, says Mayor Greg Nickels, who has returned the legislation unsigned.

The mayor continues to press for a requirement that nightclubs obtain a special license to operate in the city, as required by places such as New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. A top aide to Nickels says his staff is working closely on a proposal with the council, which is expected to vote on it next month.

"The mayor wasn't going to sign legislation that he didn't feel was the full package," said Marianne Bichsel, a spokeswoman for Nickels. "We're hopeful that the council will pass a license."

The bills passed two weeks ago will still take effect, but might not be put to use without the mayor's support. The package supports funding for a nightlife enforcement team, authorizes legal action against clubs that repeatedly exceed their occupancy limits and requires large clubs to submit security plans annually to the city.

Nickels informed Council President Nick Licata of his decision days after a key committee approved a proposed license on a 2-1 vote. That committee, headed by Councilmember Sally Clark, has crafted a license proposal that affects fewer than 100 businesses, about one-third of the number Nickels sought to regulate.

Under the committee's proposal, businesses would have to apply for a nightclub license if they serve liquor after 10 p.m., charge patrons admission, operate mostly from liquor sales and have a capacity of 200 or more. Licensees would face gradually stepped-up penalties if the city can show that they failed to take "reasonable measures" to prevent violent crime on their premises. With the first violation, the business would get a warning. A second violation within 18 months would earn a seven-day suspension; a third violation in that time, a 30-day suspension; and a fourth violation, loss of the nightclub license.

"We're all looking at it very carefully," Licata said of the committee's license proposal. "There's a chance that something will come out."

Sanjay Bhatt: 206-464-3103 or sbhatt@seattletimes.com