SARASOTA COUNTY
-- Last call is at hand for people under 21 years old who wish to attend
Sarasota County's bars and nightclubs.
The County Commission, after months of waffling, banned minors from entering
establishments in the county that serve alcohol. The decision made Sarasota
County the third jurisdiction in the region to kick minors out of bars.
The measure will become official within a few weeks after state officials
approve it. Commissioners said they hope the ban will help curb underage
drinking.
"This is one step toward keeping the community warned that you don't want
people who are underage in these bars," said Ellen Snelling, a spokeswoman
for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
But Jorge Abraham, general manager of Club Escapes on Clark Road, said the
bar ban's goals are unrealistic.
"What do they think, they are just going to stay home and watch 'I Love
Lucy'?" Abraham asked. "Now you have them driving all the way to Tampa, now
they are getting drunk and driving all the way back from Tampa."
Manatee County and the city of Sarasota banned minors from bars after
violent outbursts at Sarasota and Bradenton night spots.
Communities elsewhere in the state, including Fort Lauderdale and West Palm
Beach, have also banned minors from bars.
Sarasota County, whose jurisdiction includes popular pubs in Siesta Village
and Gulf Gate Village, has considered enacting a ban for the past six
months.
But commissioners have been hung up over details such as how stiff fines
should be, what time of night the ban should start and what establishments
should have to enforce the ban.
Commissioners set a fine of $250 for the first offense and $500 for second
and subsequent offenses. The fine applies to underage partons and bartenders
and establishments that serve minors.
Patrons who break the rule could face up to 60 days in jail. Businesses that
break it could lose their license to operate.
The ban applies 24 hours a day. An earlier version would have enforced the
ban at 9 p.m. The ban must be enforced by "any premises devoted during any
time of operation predominantly or totally to serving alcoholic beverages,"
according to county records. That means serving of food is no more than
"incidental," records state. County Commissioners said they will monitor the
success of the ordinance for a few months before possibly bringing it back
for revisions.
