Orlando moves downtown nightlife ordinances forward, but vows talks before enacting
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Orlando officials moved forward Monday on a pair of ordinances focused on safety during late-night hours, but won’t vote on enacting the proposals for eight weeks to allow time for further talks about the costs of businesses implementing the measures.
The two proposals create a permit for businesses that want to serve liquor after midnight; require those businesses to have metal detectors at entrances staffed by private security; and hire off-duty police officers if they have a permit and have an occupancy capacity of at least 150 people.
The other ordinance puts in place a moratorium on new nightclubs in the area for at least six months.
“I think this was good to get some of the issues from businesses on the table. Certainly, I’m willing for staff to have additional discussions and talk about if there’s a better way to have a distribution of how we’re paying for all the manpower or womanpower we have in our downtown,” Mayor Buddy Dyer said after a three-plus hour hearing. “I don’t actually think we’re that far off but I think we need to work on a couple of issues.”
A second hearing is scheduled for the City Council meeting on March 20, where the ordinance could be enacted.
The ordinances were unveiled last week amid a review by city officials of downtown, its safety and its evolution into a neighborhood. The area has had several high-profile acts of violence including a murder of an Army veteran on Orange Avenue in May 2021, as well as a mass shooting that wounded seven downtown in July.
Since then, the city has created single-entry points into downtown where revelers pass by police officers and gun-sniffing dogs when entering the entertainment district. The city council also enacted new rules regulating private parking lots, noise levels at bars and other changes.
Among the sticking points on the latest set of changes is the cost associated with hiring off-duty police officers, business owners said Monday.
A presentation from city staff showed costs would start between $540 to $2,160 per night, depending on the occupancy of an establishment. Those costs could increase if it’s later determined a venue needs more officers.
“What you’re hearing from us is fear — not that we’re trying to get in the way of the goals of the city,” said Jeffrey Gitto, who runs the nightlife business The V Group.
Frank Hamby, who is the landlord of The Beacham, said the venue hires extra-duty law enforcement, but they’re mostly stationed at the business, unlike the proposed ordinance where they’d patrol the area at large.
He, and others, said businesses should contribute to costs associated with policing downtown in the late-night hours.
“What we need to do is figure out a fair way to pay for it,” Hamby said.
In his own presentation, police Chief Eric Smith said he’s added 30 officers to the downtown area since October, at a cost of about $40,000 per weekend, which has created an unsustainable cost for the agency and put a strain on its staffing. He said roughly 70 officers — a combination of on-duty and off-duty — are stationed there on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
“We’re unable to justify that type of manpower allocated to such a small portion of our city,” Smith said.
Monica McCown, a board member of the Orlando Hospitality Alliance, said businesses want a stronger law enforcement presence downtown, but don’t want the price to put bars and nightclubs out of business.
“We all want more police downtown both day and night, but we need to do it in a way that doesn’t put our businesses out of business,” she said.
A few people spoke in favor of the proposals, including Greg Reynolds, who questioned why taxpayers are on the hook for security costs for businesses.
“Why should I as a taxpayer in the city pay for extra security for downtown establishments?” he said. “It’s the extra security that is needed that they should pay for.”
Tim Giuliani, president of the Orlando Economic Partnership, said it’s important for employers and employees to feel safe, and concerns associated with shootings and crime could harm efforts to lure companies here.
“If we want to compete globally for expansions, high-wage jobs, if want to increase occupancy rates in our downtown buildings, we have to do something different,” he said, adding he supports the measures.
Commissioners unanimously backed moving the proposals forward, but some expressed reservations about how to balance the cost.
Commissioner Bakari Burns reiterated a suggestion from some operators about studying forming a squad of police officers dedicated to working downtown at night to garner better results.
“My concern was with the additional policing staff, and that being the burden of the business owners. I do think at some point … it may be time for us to look at what a dedicated unit for the downtown economy looks like. Is that even feasible?” he asked.
Dyer, speaking with reporters after the meeting, said he’s willing to consider ideas pitched by the nightlife industry before the final vote.
“Adding about 30 additional officers every Friday, Saturday or Sunday has resulted in a safer downtown Orlando, but part of the question is who should be ... bearing the cost of having to provide those extra officers,” he said. “What we’re willing to do is discuss any ideas if there’s a better idea.”
Correction: A previous version misstated Frank Hamby’s relationship with The Beacham. He is the lardlord.
