Iowa City council denies liquor license renewals for pair of downtown bars

The City Council, continuing its tough stance on underage drinking, voted last night to deny liquor license renewals for two popular downtown bars.

The bars, Fieldhouse, 111 E. College St., and Etc., 118 S. Dubuque St., got into trouble primarily for having too many underage patrons ticketed for drinking alcohol, which commonly is referred to as a PAULA.

“It's time for us to step up and be serious about this,” Mayor Regenia Bailey said.

The bars can appeal the city's decision to the state's Alcoholic Beverages Division and stay open during that process, which usually takes about six months, division Administrator Lynn Walding said.

That decision can then be appealed to the courts, but if the division upholds the denial of a liquor license, the bar would have to get permission from a judge to remain open during the rest of the appeal process, Walding said.

It's rare for the council to vote to deny a liquor license, but the city has put an increased focus on downtown drinking problems. That includes beefing up the liquor license application process so that the police are to recommend denial if the rate of PAULA citations for a bar is greater than 1.0 per visit.

The Fieldhouse averaged 1.55 PAULAs per visit the past 12 months and Etc. had 1.38. Other issues also factored into the police department's recommendation, including the number of public intoxication arrests and fights associated with the bars.

Bar representatives said it's difficult, in a town that allows 19- and 20-year-olds in bars, to keep PAULA rates down. But police Sgt. Troy Kelsay said that through the first six months of this year, only seven of 110 establishments with liquor licenses failed to meet the council's criteria.

Etc. owner George Etre said he plans to stop allowing people under 21 in his bar in an effort to combat underage drinking. His attorney, Steve Ballard, said the council should give bars a full year to adjust to the new liquor license guidelines, which took effect in February. The council dealt with Etc. and Fieldhouse last night because their liquor licenses were up for their annual renewals.

Fieldhouse attorney Matthew Adam said the bar has never had an issue with its liquor license renewal and its staff has never been convicted of a violation. The bar is vigilant about seizing fake ID cards, he said.

The council voted 7-0 to deny Fieldhouse's application and 6-1 against Etc., with Matt Hayek casting the dissenting vote.