CROOKSTON Mayor Dave Genereux cast the deciding vote Tuesday night to keep local bars' closing time at 1 a.m. after the City Council deadlocked.
It seemed Genereux could go either way before he finally said "nay," following the council's 4-4 vote to allow bars to stay open until 2 a.m.
Genereux said after seeing the mixed feelings on the council, he knew the community wasn't ready for a later closing time.
"I think if the council would be more in favor of it, I wouldn't have a problem with it," Genereux said. "We've got to get everybody in town for the same thing."
Sandy Zepeda, who works at Crook's Club, was one of two people representing local businesses who spoke to the council in favor of a later closing time.
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Zepeda expressed disappointment after the council's vote, saying Crook's Club already has lost business to Minnesota's recent statewide smoking ban and to surrounding cities, such as Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, which allow bars to operate later.
"It really hit me hard," she said. "I was really hoping for some change."
She said many other local businesses are allowed to adjust their hours to make ends meet, so why can't bars.
Council members who voted in favor of the 2 a.m. resolution were Craig Buness, Marlys Mjoen, Wayne Melbye and Harry Manole.
Dissenting votes came from Keith Mykleseth, Tom Vebraaten, Guy Martin and Frank Lindgren.
Buness said he heard few negative comments from citizens in the days leading up to Tuesday's vote. He said with fuel and labor costs going up, and the impact of the smoking ban, businesses need a boost to help them weather the increases
"It's not my intention to turn Crookston into a Chicago of the 1920s," Buness said. "We need to look out for the best interests of everybody that is trying to move the community forward.
Mjoen also supported the change as a way to help local businesses.
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Both Buness and Mjoen cited Crookston Police Chief Tim Mothway's assurances a later closing time would not negatively impact his force or the community.
But Lindgren said he wasn't ready to gamble and risk the community's well-being.
"We've also got to look at the social impact to the community," Lindgren said. "What is an extra hour of drinking going to do to the citizens and to the community as a whole?"
Verbraaten said the only ones who stand to benefit from a change would be the bar owners. "But that's all it's going to help," he said.
Had the resolution passed, Crookston bars would've had the option to stay open until 2 a.m. if and when they wanted. They would have had to apply for a state license, costing between $300 and $1,000, depending on their gross sales.
"They don't have to do it if they don't want it," Manole said.
Melbye said bars should have more freedom when it comes operating hours. He said the Wal-Mart Supercenter can be open 24-hours and many regional businesses opened early the day after Thanksgiving to reap the holiday shopping benefits.
"Everybody does what they have to do to keep their businesses afloat," Melbye said. "I think we should at least work with (bars) and give them a chance to make a buck."
