Promoters: Permit proposal might put shows off

The sponsor of a City Council proposal that would force promoters to get approval for every event they host says he's willing to make changes after talking with event promoters and entertainers.

Councilman Bill Greenlee says he's in the process of making changes after meeting with promoters, who say the measure's requirements - including getting every event approved 30 days ahead of time - would be difficult to fulfill and would punish everyone for those that don't follow rules such as occupancy limits.

"Everyone just needs to lower their voice and let's just talk about it," Greenlee said of the measure, scheduled to go before Council's Committee of Licenses and Inspections on June 8.

Greenlee said he introduced the bill after talking with police and the District Attorney's Office regarding problems at events in clubs and bars around the city.

He points to recent incidents at bars and clubs regarding crowd control, complaints from neighbors about noise and parking, and gun violence.

"The biggest concern the Police Department had is that they usually didn't find out about these events until they received a 9-1-1 call for fights or crowd control," Greenlee said, noting that one of the bill's main goals is to make police aware of events so they can calculate their manpower.

As it is now written, the bill would force promoters to get a permit at least 30 days ahead for every show they put on. They'd have to include a detailed security plan, a written contract with the venue, and an alcohol-management plan.

Club promoters say that isn't feasible because of the nature of their business.

"Thirty days' notice when the event is going to take place sometimes isn't always possible," said David John Cassidy, aka DJ Deejay, 29."It definitely needs to be reworked."

Brandy Hartley, the venue manager for Johnny Brenda's at Girard and Frankford avenues in Fishtown, agreed that the permit requirement would be nearly impossible to fulfill.

She noted that the club hosts "approximately 300 events per year" and said that the notion that a permit could be denied up to 10 days before the event is scary.

"It just doesn't work," said Hartley, 37. "We have contracts with performers and artists and people that come to see an artist perform."

The result could be that artists might just skip Philadelphia, she said. "Then we'd lose the really cultural mosaic that we have," Hartley said.

Greenlee said some amendments to the bill may include giving venues the option of registering every six months, instead of every event.

"We don't want to have less money coming into the city," Greenlee said. "But if there is an event and fights get out of control, that's not going to be good for the city either."

Another possible amendment would mandate the time that police have to approve or deny a permit, he said.

Greenlee said he hopes to continue meeting with club promoters and complete the bill before Council begins its summer break June 18.