Nickels vetoes Council's nightlife ordinance

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels has vetoed a nightlife ordinance passed by the Seattle City Council, saying it failed to take meaningful action on nightclub licensing and promoting public safety.

The veto, signed today, was the second veto of his administration.

Technically, the council did pass a licensing ordinance Sept. 17, to go into effect a year from this month. But it came with a huge caveat — that the council must reaffirm its support for the license in a year. Without that support, the measure would die before it ever became law.

In his veto letter, Nickels called a nightclub license a "critical ingredient" to protect the public from nightclubs that allow violence.

"At the end of the day, a decision must be made as to whether licenses should be required of nightclubs in our city," Nickels said in a news release. "It is time for us to put an end to this debate, move beyond process and focus our work on ensuring a vibrant and safe nightlife industry in Seattle."

Another part of the legislation the mayor vetoed established a new commission to implement a nightlife-licensing program.

"Because the Council failed to enact such a licensing program, the work of a new commission would be a waste of time and city resources," Nickels said in his statement.