CAPE CITY COUNCIL TO REVIEW TASTE'S LIQUOR LICENSE AGAIN

Michael Pryor, owner of Cape Girardeau's The Taste Lounge, said he plans to let his business' recent record speak for itself when his liquor license is reviewed again at tonight's Cape Girardeau City Council meeting.

Tonight will mark the third time in 10 months Pryor has appeared before the city council to defend his license.

Pryor said that lately, behavior at his Good Hope Street bar has been "pretty good." He's only had to call police twice in the last three months to break up fights, he said.

But Police Chief Richard Hetzel said assaults occur regularly at the bar, continuing to make it a public safety issue. The chief said he will offer a report to the council tonight showing that the number police calls to The Taste from July to the present are higher than what they were the year before.

This, said Hetzel, "continues to cause me concern."

In June, the chief requested that the council revoke the club's license, citing that a high number of incidents made the bar a drain on police resources. Pryor maintained that he'd spent thousands of dollars trying to improve the respectability of his business -- including buying and tearing down a neighboring, condemned house used to shield criminal activities.

The council responded by granting The Taste a six-month probationary liquor license.

State authorities intervened in November, when the bar's liquor license was temporarily suspended for failing to report an illegal or violent act, and for failing to close on time.

In December, Hetzel again recommended denial of The Taste's liquor license, again citing the that the bar's repeated incidents unduly drained police resources. After questioning Pryor for an hour about his security practices, the council voted 4-3 to issue a three-month license to Pryor.

CAPE GIRARDEAU CITY COUNCIL AGENDA

Monday, March 19, at 7 p.m.

401 Independence

Study session at 5 p.m.

Public hearings

* A request to consider vacating the city's interest in a four-foot wide easement running north-south between Lot 1 of Seabaughs Third Subdivision and College Street, and a four-foot wide service pole easement running north from College Street for a distance of 40 feet between lots 9 and 11 of Seabaughs Third Subdivision.

Appearance

* Carole Bullock, owner of the Marquette Hotel.

Consent Ordinances

(second and third readings)

* Approving the change of the zoning of the northeast quadrant of Interstate 55 and Highway 34/61 from residential to commercial.

* Approving a special use permit for Lionshead Investments, LLC, and Kinder and Maurer Developments, LLC, for purposes of constructing, maintaining, and operating condominiums in the 2900 to 3000 blocks of Beavercreek Drive.

* Approving the acceptance of a general warranty deed, permanent drainage easements, a permanent storm sewer easement and temporary construction easements from various property owners for the New Madrid Street improvement project.

New Ordinances

(First reading)

* Amending a section of the city code to repeal certain no parking areas on Broadway and establishing new no parking areas on Broadway.

Resolutions

* Authorizing the city manager to execute an agreement with Dutch Enterprises, Inc. for a 16-inch water main project along Perryville Road and Bertling Street, and for a 20-inch water main project along Riverside Boulevard and Green Acres Drive.