In the second veto of his administration, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels vetoed a bill passed last week by the Seattle City Council that he said failed to take meaningful action on nightclub licensing and promoting public safety.
The City Council vote followed a nearly two-year process to develop legislation that would address concerns about violence in some nightclubs.
That effort included recommendations from a committee of nightclub owners and neighborhood leaders, review of data on public-safety issues, a study of how other major cities license clubs, extensive legal analysis and testimony from hundreds of Seattle residents.
On Sept. 17, the council voted six to three to continue studying anightlife licensing program for another year. In his veto letter, Nickels said that a license is a "critical ingredient to protect the public from nightclubs that allow violence in and around their clubs."
Another part of the legislation the mayor vetoed established a new commission to implement a nightlife licensing program.
The mayor praised the work of Councilmember Sally Clark and the Neighborhood and Economic Development Committee for holding many public hearings with hundreds of Seattle residents testifying. Clark's committee also sought input from various experts and reviewed ordinances from other cities.
Nickels noted that testimony from many community members made it clear they were frustrated by club-related violence and other impacts near their homes, and supported a license as a way to ensure nightclubs don't become neighborhood problems.
"The Committee proposed a nightlife license that was a reasonable compromise with my original proposal. That license, combined with the two measures previously approved by the City Council, could have created an effective program."
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