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LBC ViewPoint
Java Lanes, the Lava Lounge, and the City Council
Below are two messages we sent to our membership regarding the City's actions related to the Entertainment Permit for Java Lanes, and its club, the Lava Lounge. The first explains briefly the actions you can take to influence the City Council and Mayor. The second, written after the City Council meeting where this issue was discussed, contains a complete listing of the 18 conditions to the entertainment permit.
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 15:02:53 -0700
From: Administrator@LongBeachCulture.org
Subject: URGENT! What are you willing to lose?
Sometimes circumstances demand that you stand up and be counted or risk losing things that we otherwise take for granted. We are now presented with an opportunity to unite and effect change in existing City policy regarding performing arts in Long Beach.
The City Council has severely restricted the activities at the Lava Lounge. The Lava Lounge has been dedicated to supporting Long Beach artists since they first opened. The restrictions the City Council has placed on the venue prevents them from having shows during the week, the time when most local artists performed there. Also, we suspect that the majority of the complaints were regarding the larger weekend shows, not the shows during the week.
The City Council has this issue on its agenda for Tuesday, April 24th. LongBeachCulture is not here to tell you what to say, or what opinion to have but, if you care about local performing artists at all, please make your voice heard. There are three things you can do, two of which you can do without even standing up.
1) Send an E-Mail right now to your City Council Representative, the Mayor, and 4th District Council Person Dennis Carroll. Send the messages separately. Do not CC them. Tell them, in an honest and respectful way, what your views are on this matter.
2) Pick up the phone right now and call your City Council Representative, the Mayor, and Mr. Carroll. Tell them, in an honest and respectful way, what your views are on this matter. You might even want to plan ahead what you want to say.
3) Go to the City Council chambers on April 24th, at 4:30 PM. The meeting starts at 5, and the first item on the agenda is this issue. Be sure to comment, if comments are allowed. Again, plan ahead what you want to say. Be brief and respectful.
The telephone # for Councilman Carroll is (562) 570-6918.
His e-mail address is carroll@ci.long-beach.ca.us
The Mayor's telephone # is (562) 570-6801.
Her e-mail address is mayor@ci.long-beach.ca.us
If you don't know who your representative is, you can find out here:
http://www.ci.long-beach.ca.us/council/index.htm
We cannot stress enough how important this is to you and everyone
that cares about Art and Culture in Long Beach. Please do not let
this opportunity go by without taking action right now.
Thank you, again, for your continued participation in LongBeachCulture.org.
Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2001 13:51:24 -0700
From: Administrator@LongBeachCulture.org
Subject: For Whom The Bell Tolls?
LongBeachCulture.org would like to thank all the people who wrote and called the Mayor and members of the City Council, expressing their views to them about the review of the Java Lanes entertainment license.
At the City Council meeting yesterday it was decided, by a unanimous vote (with an abstention by 3rd District Council Person Frank Colonna), to allow Java Lanes to have an entertainment permit, but with conditions. The complete list of conditions are at the bottom of this message, but two important ones are:
7) Hours of entertainment shall be limited to: Sunday through Thursday, no later than 9:00 pm; Friday and Saturday, no later than 12:00 a.m. (midnight).
And
8) No sound shall be audible from the exterior of the premise in any direction.
There were about 10-12 citizens who addressed the City Council about this issue. Many were musicians who had performed at the Lava Lounge. Most spoke passionately about the importance of the week-day shows, the cultural value of the venue within the community, etc. Two of the people who spoke were neighbors who live behind Java Lanes on Esther Street, voicing their desire that the conditions be put in place.
The thing that was most surprising was 4th District Council Person Dennis Carroll's insistence that, because of his desire to insure that the neighbors not suffer through 6 months, or a year, of review that this item be reviewed every 30 days. If, after 30 days, the noise, traffic, and other problems are not resolved to his, or their, satisfaction then the entertainment permit may be further restricted, or revoked. It was not made clear what would constitute sufficient cause to further restrict, or revoke, the permit.
We are sharing this information with you to illustrate why it is important you become active in local politics. Many people find the idea of political activism, at best, distasteful but unless we raise our voices, unless the City Council is faced by us at every turn, unless they know we stand united in defense of the
things we hold dear, we will continue to see our valued cultural institutions marginalized and restricted into oblivion.
LongBeachCulture.org will do its best to keep you informed as to any further decisions and, hopefully, keep track of other issues that relate to arts and culture in Long Beach. We urge you to become involved personally, though.
All kinds of information and resources can be found here:
http://www.ci.long-beach.ca.us/citygov/index.htm
AMENDED AND ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OF OPERATION
1. A short-term permit of one year from the date of approval is hereby granted upon the agreement by the applicant to the conditions set forth herein.
2. Upon expiration of said permit it is required that the applicant shall reapply for a renewal of this permit.
3. All terms and conditions of the applicant’s current extended permit shall remain in full force and effect except to the extent they are inconsistent with the amended and additional conditions of operation
as stated herein.
4. Compliance with the conditions of this permit as hereafter set forth shall be reviewed at least every 30 days by the Fourth District Council Office and the Long Beach City Attorney’s Office.
5. Entertainment shall not be offered on any day that the restaurant is closed.
6. Java Lanes shall hire a licensed security company to keep order during and after any live music and patrol lots and adjacent streets (Esther and Grand) at all times during and for one hour after all live music performances.
7. Hours of entertainment shall be limited to: Sunday through Thursday, no later than 9:00 pm; Friday and Saturday, no later than 12:00 a.m. (midnight).
8. No sound shall be audible from the exterior of the premise in any direction.
9. Java Lanes shall be responsible for trash and litter removal in parking areas and adjacent streets (Esther and Grand) at the opening and closing of business each day.
10. The security company shall require Java Lanes patrons to leave the parking lot and neighborhood immediately upon exiting Java Lanes.
11. No parking lot events shall be held simultaneously with live entertainment events. This includes but is not limited to car shows.
12. Java Lanes shall install and operate a dedicated telephone line direct to Security Officers for immediate response to neighborhood complaints.
13. No concerts with pre-sold tickets shall be permitted.
14. No promotion of live music via website shall be permitted.
15. The west facing doors shall be closed after 9:00 pm during presentation of live music on Friday or Saturday.
16. The permittee agrees to reimburse the City whenever excessive police services, as determined by the Chief of Police, are required as the result of any incident or nuisance arising out of or in connection with the permittee’s operations.
17. Java Lounge shall post and maintain a professional quality sign facing the premises parking lot(*s) that read as follows:
NO LOITERING, NO LITTERING
NO DRINKING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
VIOLATORS ARE SUBJECT TO ARREST
The sign shall be at least two feet square with two inch block lettering.
18. The operation of the establishment shall be limited to those activities and elements expressly indicated on the permit application and approved by the City Council. Any change in the operation which exceeds the parameters of the approved permit will require that a new permit application be submitted to the City Council for their review and approval.
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