Stafford seeks bar and restaurant clarification

By  Karen Daniels

Throughout the year, during the regular meetings and public hearings, Stafford City Council has discussed enacting a smoking ordinance. Council members’ varying positions have been revealed, but there was common ground with defining a difference between a restaurant (where families eat) and a bar (where adults drink). It was recommended that the distinction for a smoking exemption would rest with the type of license issued by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) to each establishment.

Businesses with a mixed beverage license would be a bar and those with a food and beverage license would be a restaurant. At last week’s council meeting however, Art Pertile, the City’s attorney, explained that the type of licenses issued to each of the 83 businesses in Stafford are not as clear-cut as he had hoped. He gave examples of his findings:

• Pappadeaux and Casa Ole have a mixed beverage license (MB)

• Hooters – Food and beverage license (FB)

Mayor Scarcella still wants a “concerted effort of restaurants and bars to voluntarily prohibit smoking” and keep government out of business. Councilwoman Felecia Evans-Smith does not want a voluntary ban. She wants higher alcohol sales to define a bar. Council all agreed that more time was needed to process the information they had received.

At a later time, Richard Wills, with the TABC was interviewed, and he suggested that a possible solution for determining a restaurant from a bar would be the mandatory red or blue signs that must hang in establishments.

• Red Sign – No guns allowed. The establishment is recognized by the TABC for 51% or more in alcohol sales. Guns are not allowed in bars.

• Blue Sign – Guns are allowed (per business decision). The establishment is recognized by the TABC primarily for food sales. Alcohol sales do not exceed 51%.

Back at the council meeting, the floor was then opened to the public, and of the two who spoke, one (a non-Stafford resident) gave his ideas to make several line-item rules more stringent, eliminating future loop-holes. He said that “Forty cities in Texas are currently smoke-free” and this was the right thing to do. The Mayor asked him if he knew how many cities in Texas have abolished city property taxes. (None) “We are a Home-Rule City,” Mayor Scarcella said. “I don’t care what Houston, San Antonio, or Dallas are doing. I only care about what’s best for Stafford.”

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Posted by FortBendStar on Sep 26 2012. Filed under Breaking News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.