Island officials reject 2 a.m. bar closing time

BEAUFORT -- Hilton Head Island's Town Council wants to stay out of the business of regulating last call.

The majority of council members oppose a law enforcement proposal to close all bars and nightclubs after 2 a.m., but said they still want to get tough on problem spots.

Sheriff P.J. Tanner proposed a law similar to those on the books in the Charleston area following a series of high-profile fights, near riots and brutal, blind-sided attacks at island bars this year.

But council members said they'd rather explore several other options first, including requiring more private security at clubs or special permits for after-hours nightspots.

Council also wants the town to suspend the business licenses of places caught serving underage patrons.

"I really don't want to punish responsible operators for the sins of a few," said Councilman Drew Laughlin on Saturday during the final morning of council's goal-setting retreat. "You have a lot of people who work hard in the food and beverage industry; (late-night) is their playtime and you have operators who are catering to that."

Councilman John Safay, who owned a 1,000-person disco in Denver in the 1970s, said South Carolina suffers from lax enforcement of alcohol laws, primarily because the State Law Enforcement Division is the only agency that can go after bars and work to revoke their liquor licenses.

The deputies who patrol bar areas cite customers for infractions, but aren't able to go directly after the establishments serving them.

"You used to get punished if something happened to you," Safay said of his old nightclub. "My employees were checking IDs because they knew the (liquor) license was on the line."

South-end island bars draw young people, in part, because they've always had the

reputation of being relaxed about checking driver's licenses, town leaders said.

If the town is able to suspend the business licenses of bars caught violating booze laws or having recurring violence, owners throughout the island would quickly take notice, Safay said.

"Even if they know we're out there to yank their business licenses for three months or 30 days, that'll really clean things up," he said.

State law prohibits bars from pouring liquor after 2 a.m., but allows beer and wine to be served after-hours.

Retail stores are permitted to sell beer and wine 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If the town legally is able to require special permits, the money from them could go to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, which has spent about $30,000 in officer overtime this year to saturate alcohol-serving trouble spots.

BOTTLES AND CANS

Town leaders continued to discuss how best to move forward with a mandatory, island-wide recycling program for both homes and businesses.

Council members seem to be leaning toward requiring trash haulers to pick up recycling and letting the companies sort out the details.

The companies would be able to set their own prices, but would have to meet minimum standards of providing bins and collecting all material that can be recycled at county solid waste convenience centers.

"Every hauler might come up with a different plan," said Mayor Tom Peeples. "I could care less what they do as long as they offer (and require) recycling."

Laughlin said it "baffles my mind" that Hilton Head's resorts don't offer recycling, even though many of their customers have requested it.

"It just bugs me that people in the private sector don't cater to their customers' demands," Laughlin said.

Other options being considered by the town include contracting out recycling to a single company or instituting a "pay-as-you-throw" system in which

recycling would be free but people would have to pay based on the amount of trash they generate.