But only on a temporary basis
The Sage Pub was given some mixed news at the May 16 Osoyoos Town Council meeting.
Owner Allan Redekopp had approached council at the May 2 meeting in order to ask that council allow the Sage Pub to extend their closing time from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m.
The Owl Pub on Main Street was recently granted the same extension.
The good news for Redekopp was that he was given a temporary licence to extend his hours of operation to 2 a.m., effective June 1.
However, the bad news for Redekopp is that the licence runs out after Labour Day in September (September 5) unless he re-applies for another extension.
In a split vote, with Councillors Tom Shields and Bud Fraser in favour and Ken Davreux and Dick Flintoft opposed, it was up to Mayor John Slater to break the tie by voting in favour.
I am frustrated by the whole process, said Redekopp after the meeting.
I'm glad we have the opportunity to try it but we're missing a busy period by not getting the extension for the May long weekend.rnRedekopp went on to say that he doesn't like the idea he will have to stand before the same council in September when he re-applies for another extension.
Council heard Redekopp's request at the May 2 public meeting but could not come to a decision whether or not to grant Redekopp the extra hour.
The delay in making a decision was to confirm the possibility of granting Redekopp a temporary licence, and also to allow council time to obtain further information that Redekopp had more support than opposition from area residents.
A few nearby residents were opposed to the extra hour and cited concerns about noise, broken bottles and public urination.
Redekopp feels the Sage Pub is being blamed for many problems they are not responsible for.
A lot of noise happens on the beach and in the motels long after we close our doors, yet we are blamed for all of it, Redekopp said.
Redekopp is concerned that he will be facing the busy summer season (when the majority of people will be in the area) under a great deal of scrutiny.
In a statement to council, Redekopp said the Sage Pub has learned over the years to deal with the type of problems that can arise, and he is proud that he has the staff in place to deal with them as effectively as possible.
At the May 2 meeting, Redekopp had letters of support from the RCMP and from the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch. At the last meeting he also presented a petition of some 300 names in support of the 2 a.m. closing.
It was clear the councillors had reservations about the extension as concerns from both residents and area businesses were weighed against letters of support.
Finally at the May 16 meeting, council passed a motion first to deny Redekopp's request for the 2 a.m. extension (on a permanent basis), and then passed a motion to allow a temporary extension to 2 a.m. for the period between June 1 and September 5.
Council also said they hoped Redekopp would keep control over his establishment to ensure that patrons are respectful of the surrounding neighbourhood.
We can't police the beaches and the motels, Redekopp said later.
But we will, of course, do the best we can to keep noise down. We are good neighbours and do all in our power to keep all negative activity to an absolute minimum.
All we wanted was a fair playing field.
