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WHEREAS, many communities within the City of Pittsburgh suffer from nuisance alcohol establishments; and,
WHEREAS, the Liquor Control Enforcement branch of the Pennsylvania State Police offers an invaluable service to local municipalities by monitoring liquor licensees and the way they operate their businesses; and,
WHEREAS, LCE's website describes a nuisance alcohol licensee as one which "disregards the sensibilities of the surrounding area" and that "continually endangers the life and health of patrons and residents, offends the senses, violates the laws of decency, and obstructs the reasonable and comfortable use of property in its vicinity;" and,
WHEREAS, current state law empowers LCE to cite licensees for having amplified music that can be heard outside of the licensee's premise, thereby protecting the property owners and residents that are located within close proximity to the offending establishment; and,
WHEREAS, since 2012 alone, the Pittsburgh office of the LCE has issued over one hundred warning and violation letters to Pittsburgh nuisance establishments concerning amplified music violations, a statistic verifying the pressing need for LCE's oversight; and,
WHEREAS, amendments to House Bill 1747 that are currently before the House Liquor Control Committee seek to remove statutory language protecting municipal communities from nuisance bar behavior by taking away Liquor Control Enforcement's ability to cite for amplified music violations coming from establishments that serve alcohol; and,
WHEREAS, in times where local law enforcement are already stretched thin by pressing nuisance alcohol-related calls for service, the LCE's ability to enforce standard of living laws concerning alcohol establishments, like the law concerning amplified music violation, offers much-needed and crucial support to municipal public safety departments; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Pittsburgh has found difficulty enforcing local noise ordinances, often having cases dismissed in court, leading to abuse of the system by nuisance alcohol establishments, whereas, citations from LCE are upheld at a much greater rate.
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh stands strongly against any amendment to House Bill 1747 that would remove the Liquor Control Enforcement's ability to cite alcohol establishments for amplified music violations and calls for this amendment's timely rejection during this legislative session; and;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh urges the House Liquor Control Committee to recognize the vital role Liquor Control Enforcement has in safekeeping the health and safety of communities in which liquor licensees operate, and that any removal of the LCE's powers of enforcement in any capacity serves as a public safety hazard to the welfare of any of Pennsylvania's municipal communities.