ST CHARLES, Mo. — Restaurants along North Main Street in St. Charles will have to wait a little longer to see if the city will change the way they do business. That includes a proposal to get rid of the current law requiring 50/50 sales of both food and alcohol.
City leaders discussed this issue for several hours Tuesday and decided they need more time to decide whether the Mayor's proposed changes should be pushed through. Mayor Dan Borgmeyer wants to get rid of the requirement that restaurants must sell the same amount of food as they do alcohol.
He also wants to give businesses some options if they want to have live music outdoors. They're already able to do so indoors. Businesses who want live bands to play outside more than four times a year would need a special permit.
Those for and against these changes spoke before the council. Musicians said they need their livelihood back. Some said if things stay the way they are, it would avoid some of the issues they've seen in the past.
"Open containers, trash in the street, loitering, stripping, vomiting on me in my store, cars driving down the sidewalk,” April Moxley said.
"I ask you to be cautious as you review these changes. I ask you to think of your children, my children, our children's children,” another resident chimed in.
“My youngest daughter is a live musician. The past few years what we’ve seen on Main Street is declining dramatically for her. I believe we should allow live music inside and outside because musicians who make a living doing that are suffering from what they see on this council,” Scott Hensley said.
"Myself and other musicians I know have gotten hired a lot less on Main Street,” August Page added.
At one point, a council member suggested scrapping the proposal altogether but that got voted down. Leaders say they want to vote one way or the other, just not right now.
Mayor Borgmeyer told 5 On Your Side he's disappointed Council didn't approve the measures. He says there haven't been major issues on North Main Street of late.
"They need to make a decision,” he said.
Council members have not chosen a date on when to re-visit this issue.