See released today 2/3/2009:  

http://www.clevelandcitycouncil.org/Home/2009_Agenda/tabid/617/Default.aspx

Wow, I wonder who got this ball rolling?

Hint a Phoney that lives in Tremont.

___________________________________________

 Combat the unwanted increase of liquor permits and remove nuisance liquor establishments. By using the powers of Council to object to proposed establishments, citizens and council are working to reduce the number of licenses. Council sponsors local hearings with state liquor officials and argues cases before the State Liquor Control Board when necessary. 

I am glad that Council President Sweeney sees this as a top priority.

  Hi Henry--it would be best not to mince words here.  Just elaborate and explain how Santiago facilitates liquor licenses for friends and allows nuisance liquor establishments to undermiine the livability of neighborhoods. 

Also, I seriously doubt that Santiago had any influence over this written agenda.  Nonetheless, I would skip adjectives like "phony."  We can have our own personal opinions, but readers don't want our opinions....just the "facts," as they say :) I have to remind myself of this as much as possible, which is why photos are the best way to present facts.  Hard to argue with empirical evidence.

I was sarcastically referring to myself, since I was called a "Phony" on this blog.

If it were not for my activism on Bars in Ward 14, this issues never would have come to light. Since 2006, about 16 locations received citations. Several have closed, several are on death row with appeals with the state.

Santiago basically appropriated this and ran with it, Cimperman is now involved with it to a point over private clubs like Rosemary Vinci was going to open in the flats, that’s what started this for round II, people in Stonebridge got real upset. Actually there is going to be a Committee Hearing on Friday February 13, at City Council at 3PM regarding Private Club legislation and use issues.

I will look for an old article.

Last call for illegal bars

Thursday, August 02, 2007

By Ken Prendergast

West Side Sun News

A rising tide of violence involving patrons of bars and nightclubs in Ward 14 has prompted its councilman to take a hard look at whether their operations are legal.
Specifically, Joe Santiago is seeking a review of licenses, certificates and zoning for all 74 liquor establishments in his ward to ensure they are operating in compliance with city and state building codes and laws. He asked neighborhood activist Henry Senyak to conduct the review.
"I'm making it a top priority because it's a safety issue," Santiago said. "This is going to be a fair process. It's going to be across the board. We're not singling anyone out."
Senyak, who has already researched every West 25th Street liquor establishment from Bridge Avenue to Interstate 71 via public records from the city, said he was happy to take on the effort.
"Only about 10 percent (of establishments on West 25th) are operating within their legal use or their correct certificate of occupancy," he said. "There's only two or three that are."
He hasn't yet researched establishments in the rest of the ward, however. But he found that, at least along West 25th, for all the establishments operating as adult cabarets, the city has no past records showing that they're allowed to operate as adult cabarets. Several establishments are operating as nightclubs but have certificates of occupancy for restaurants or bars.
"They can't be a nightclub," Senyak said. "The noise and music has to be contained within the bar. And there's been no willingness for enforcement."
Ward 14 resident and Clark-Metro Community Development Corp. board member Rebecca Kempton said she was concerned that the entertainment district zoning overlay could be used in Ward 14 to legalize non-compliant establishments.
"That's the kind of businesses that we've had there for 40 years," she said. "I'm concerned the councilman would use that as an excuse to have an entertainment district. People have a right to live in a safe neighborhood where they don't have problem bars and nightclubs at their backdoor."
Santiago said he isn't interested in the entertainment district zoning overlay, like the one recently approved by the City Planning Commission for the Columbus Road peninsula in the Flats. The zoning overlay was applied there to allow the Hustler Club to relocate near Diamond Men's Club to make way for Scott Wolstein's $250 million Flats East Bank neighborhood.
"That's a totally different situation with the Flats," Santiago said. "They're doing a district. It wouldn't work here. What I've been doing is working with one of the residents (Senyak) to work on bringing everything into compliance."
"As this (entertainment district) law is written and approved, if savvy legislation and districting was put forth you could legalize these (Ward 14 establishments) in a heartbeat," Senyak said. "I can't speak for Santiago but I don't think he would do this based on a conversation where he asked for my assistance in enforcing compliance or closing Ward 14 troublespots."

Compliments of the West Side Sun News

(I ended up being the driving force of compliance on the liquor permits mostly in Ward 14, but three in Ward 13 got to know me too)

I picked up on the liquor permit item in council's agenda, too. A good deal of reporting done by me and Mark Puente over the last year backs up Henry Senyak's account of history. I mentioned the council agenda and linked to an old story about Councilman Santiago on my City Hall blog today.

http://www.cleveland.com/cityhall/index.ssf/2009/02/cleveland_city_council_identif.html

This is my first post here, but I have been enjoying the commentary on RealNEO for months. I hope my sharing of a link is not out of line.

If Mr. Senyak is doing the job – i.e.  investigating license compliance of liquor and entertainment establishments - that the City of Cleveland really is responsible to do, it only seems reasonable  that Mr. Senyak be paid - at least as a consultant once he submits his report.   With 70+ establishments to visit, and late hours to check in on them – this is will be a full time job.  

My hat is off to Mr. Senyak for his civic energy!

Good to see you here!

  Everyday...for work and for myself.  I found Phillip Morris' column especially relevant yesterday. 

Posted today-at the new City of Cleveland website.