At the July 13 city council meeting, Nyx Café Restaurant Bar owner Stephen Rodgers appealed Mayor Butch Berry’s denial of his request for a temporary Entertainment District for every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 3 – 9 p.m. from July 9 to Sept. 13. An E.D. is relatively new to Eureka Springs as Ord. 2283 was just adopted in September 2019.
The ordinance is “intended to promise hospitality and tourism within the City” by allowing public possession of open alcoholic beverages in regulated boundaries upon application approval.
Rodgers followed the application protocol and offered to relieve the city of certain operational costs. Berry said that Rodgers offered to provide the security which would normally be expected of the city. Aldermen comments resulted in support of Berry’s decision to deny Rodgers’s application.
Alderman Harry Meyer said that the Public Works and the Police Department are short-handed and now with Covid he said, “I just can’t support it.”
Melissa Greene said she voted in favor of the permanent E.D. but since the petition was submitted to dissolve the ordinance at the next election in November, she said she’s not comfortable voting in favor of a temporary E.D.
Mickey Schneider said that she also cannot ignore citizens against the permanent E.D. echoing her previous and current opposition to both a temporary and permanent E.D.
Supporter of both types Entertainment Districts, alderman Bob Thomas said he would normally be in support of the application but cannot be now due to the pandemic.
Aldermen took no vote and made no changes to Berry’s original denial of the application.