Seattle may need to adopt New York City's motto of "The City That Never Sleeps" if Resolution 31308 is passed.

The Seattle City Council is waiting to hear back from the Liquor Control Board on a resolution that was submitted to allow bars and restaurants to serve liquor past the normal service hours of 2 a.m.

"The resolution gives local jurisdictions the option to choose if they wish to extend their service hours," said Tim Burgess, a Seattle City Council member.

The resolution, which would amend the Washington Administration Code (WAC) 314-11-070 that prohibits selling and serving liquor between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., has Seattleites divided.

"Resolution 31308, if put into effect, would contribute to economic vitality and support the restaurant and bar industry by keeping jobs in that field," Burgess said. "It would contribute to the nightlife scene of the city and make this an attractive place for tourists as well."

The opportunity to get more business and make more revenue is a huge incentive for bars and restaurants to support this resolution.

"There's a group of restaurant and bar owners that would like to see if this experimentation can be done correctly," Burgess said.

Capitol Hill's very own Neumos and Moe Bar fit into that category. A press release was sent out by the establishments asking for people to contact the Liquor Control Board expressing support for the resolution.

"As busy and predominantly late-night Seattle businesses on Capitol Hill, [Neumos and Moe Bar] believe [Resolution 31308] would help many safety concerns night life is faced with," the press release stated.

Comments that support or oppose the resolution can be sent directly to the mayor or the city council.

Prolonging service hours can bring some negative consequences along as well.

"Longer hours results in more alcohol consumption and that can sometimes lead to problems," Burgess said. "In some other cities, this has led to an increase in fights and assaults."

These risks do not seem worth it for some business owners, but no businesses have risen up in opposition to the resolution.

The Nightlife Initiative, created by Mayor Mike McGinn in July, hopes to mitigate many of the problems that could arise from extending hours. Resolution 31308, also created by McGinn, is an extension of this initiative.

The eight priorities of the initiative include:

1. Code compliance enforcement

2. Flexible liquor service hours

3. Noise ordinance enforcement

4. Security training requirements

5. Precinct community outreach

6. Professional development

7.Late-night transportation

alternatives

8. Targeting public nuisances

So far, McGinn has also tackled the late night transportation alternatives portion of the initiative.

Drivers on Capitol Hill can pre-pay for parking from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. the following morning. This would be to prevent people from driving while intoxicated and to give them enough time to pick up their car in the morning if they decide to take alternate means of transportation home.

"The mayor also announced the city will work with property owners and businesses to set up new late night taxi zones in downtown, Belltown, Pioneer Square, Broadway, the University District and Ballard," according to Seattlepi.com

The mayor and council members want a smooth transition if the resolution is passed. They would oversee the steps of the change to make sure any initial kinks are worked out.

"The city council will be watching very carefully about the details of implementation," Burgess said. "Protecting public safety and monitoring how this resolution will impact our surrounding neighbor cities is important to us."

Ashley may be reached at aroe@su-spectator.com