More than 20 people line up to speak about Panama Joe’s entertainment permit at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Photo by Sarah Bennett
After more than 20 people gave public comment on the subject last night, the Long Beach City council, in a display of legislative restraint, voted unanimously to renew a temporary one-year entertainment permit for Panama Joe’s, a popular restaurant and bar spot on Second Street in Belmont Shore.
The establishment came under fire after the Long Beach Police Department released a scathing 30-page report in which they detailed a number of disturbances related to Panama Joe’s patrons and ultimately made the recommendation that the establishment be denied renewal of its entertainment permits. More than 27 conditions, however, are attached to Panama Joe’s permit including many of its mitigation practices such as requiring a security guard in the parking lot behind the restaurant. If the permit had been denied, it would have not only inhibited its ability to play live music and have patron dancing, but would have made all of the conditions non-enforceable.
“Does denying an entertainment permit make anything better?” asked Gary DeLong, Third District Councilman. “I don’t think it does. The residents created many conditions to this entertainment permit and as we’ve had complaints, we added a few more. If we don’t have an entertainment permit, we don’t have that enforceable item. I am concerned about losing those conditions.”
The deliberation came after the council allowed over 20 local residents and business owners to express their position on Panama Joe’s display of civic virtues, or lack thereof, in managing their carousing clients. The local business owners present at the hearing generally came down in favor of renewing the permits, highlighting the unnecessarily suppressive nature of permit revocation in addressing a simple regulatory issue.
The co-owner of sports bar Legends, Eric Johnson–whose exemplary management style was praised by Councilman DeLong for greatly reducing the number of service calls generated in the area–spoke on the matter.
“We’ve been working very hard to address some of the issues that still exist for business owners on Second Street and I strongly feel that taking away their entertainment license would not address the problem,” Johnson said.
His sentiment was echoed by Eric Branner, a local resident who made an interesting comparison.
“I feel like I’m in Footloose trying to decide if a bar should have entertainment,” he said. “That seems like the place where there should be entertainment. Yet it seems like we’re starting to run Second Street like Mayberry.”
A considerable number of the residents who spoke up seemed to strongly oppose not only Panama Joe’s entertainment permit, but its entire operation and spoke out against everything from the foul language of the customers to the fact that they host events such as “Beer Pong Tournament With the Girls of Spearment Rhino.”
“This is not a bar, it is licensed as a restaurant–a bonified eating establishment,” said Kurt Borsting, President of Belmont Shore Resident’s Association. “The operation shall be limited to those activities expressly stated and it has not been.”
The other dissenting voices generally focused on the annoyance caused by Panama Joe’s noise level and the way in which the business caters to unruly, inebriated college crowds that blight the neighborhood and defile its traditionally amiable character.
“We are trying very hard,” said Panama Joe”s co-owner Ron Newman, “but it’s very difficult for us to pin point those that are intoxicated. They might not be slurring their words or fumbling cash at a .08 level, but once they leave, they can be over at legal limit and be arrested. The staff is very diligent about cutting people off, but there is always room for improvement and I ask that you please give us a chance.”
Ultimately, the council was persuaded by DeLong’s argument that although the number of infractions is still above what the council had hoped for, the record shows an overall improvement, testifying to the effectiveness of 27 conditions already imposed on Panama Joe’s entertainment permit.
As a further caveat to the one-year renewal, the council rendered mandatory the currently voluntary implementation of the SHUSH Policy, which safeguards neighborhood peace and quiet and forbids the propagations of noise into the surrounding streets.