Hold that line, I.C. Council

By The Gazette Editorial Board

Iowa City Council members denied yet another liquor license renewal last week.

It was the fifth time in a year they voted not to renew a bar's liquor license because police had caught too many underage patrons in possession of alcohol.

Good for them. It's about time the council cracked down on bar owners who can't or won't uphold liquor laws. Now it's up to state alcohol officials to uphold the local decision.

Most bar owners have appealed the denial to the state's Alcoholic Beverages Division. Their ruling is expected sometime this month.

We see no compelling reason for incoming Alcoholic Beverages Division Administrator Stephen Larson not to uphold the denial. It's a matter of accountability.

Iowa City has struggled for years with an ever-worsening alcohol culture. Part of that problem is to be found in the city's bars, where underage drinking is all too common.

Last year, council members voted to deny liquor license renewal applications for establishments that had a poor track record of keeping drinks out of the hands of patrons who were underage.

If one or more patrons are cited for Possession of Alcohol Under the Legal Age, or PAULA, per police visit in a given year, police now are required to advise against renewing that bar's liquor license.

It's a clear, consistent standard that shows Iowa City Council members won't tolerate businesses that can't or won't control underage drinking, even when some popular bars run afoul of the PAULA standard: 808 Restaurant & Nightclub, The Sports Column, The Fieldhouse, Etc. and The Summit.

Not surprisingly, bar owners facing non-renewal have paraded, one by one, in front of council members to plead their cases.

Bar owners whose liquor license renewals have been denied may say it's unfair to hold them accountable for their patrons' behavior. They say they take very seriously the rampant problem of underage drinking.

That may be. Still, it's clear they don't do enough to keep it from happening too often in their establishments - and that's what really matters.

The numbers don't lie: Each denied business averaged at least one PAULA citation per police visit in the last year. Dozens of other Iowa City bars apparently don't have such problems keeping alcohol out of the hands of minors.

What's unfair is to equally distribute liquor licenses to those establishments that do it right, as well as those who don't.

Stick to your guns, Iowa City Council. Finally, you've drawn the line and are consistently holding liquor licensees to the standard of law.

It's the right thing to do to persuade bar owners to step up and take full responsibility for what goes on in their business.

The majority of bars who meet the city's standard shows it can - and should - be done.