12/20/1977 - Laserfiche WebLink

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COMMISSIONER LOY ASKED THAT THE RECORD REFLECT -THAT SHERIFF' .JOYCE -IS IN THE HOSPITAL AND UNABLE TO ATTEND THIS HEARING. ON 140TION BY COMMISSIONER SIEBERT, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SCHMUCKER, THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING. CHAIRMAN WODTKE ASKED FOR THE BOARD'S COMMENTS. COMMISSIONER SCHMUCKER NOTED THAT THIS IS A DIFFICULT ISSUE,`` BUT HE FELT A LOT OF THE ARGUMENTS IN 'REGARD TO NOT EXTENDING THE BAR_ HOURS ARE RELATED TO ALCOHOLISM, WHICH HE -DOES NOT FEEL IS THE ISSUE. HE STATED -THAT HE FEELS THE PROBLEM OF ALCOHOLISM IS HERE TO STAY, AND TO COMBAT IT, WE WOULD HAVE TO CLOSE THE BARS DOWN ALTOGETHER. COMMISSIONER SIEBERT ALSO DID NOT FEEL THE QUESTION OF WHETHER DRINKING IS MORAL OR NOT IS WHAT WE ARE HERE TO DECIDE. HE STATED THAT HE CAN EMPATHIZE WITH ANYONE WHO HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITHIN 'THEIR FAMILIES THAT CAN BE ATTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO ALCOHOL, BUT HE DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS CAN BE RELATED DIRECTLY TO BARS, AND HE DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT CLOSING THE BARS AT 1:00 A.M. OR REVERTING THE HOUR TO MIDNIGHT WOULD SOLVE THIS PROB- LEM AS IT IS THE REASONS FOR PEOPLE BECOMING ALCOHOLICS THAT HAVE TO BE ELIMINATED. COMMISSIONER SIEBERT CONTINUED THAT HE FEELS THE PEOPLE WHO PATRONIZE THE BARS DO SO MORE BECAUSE IT IS A MEETING PLACE WHERE THERE IS ENTERTAINMENT RATHER THAN JUST FOR THE PURPOSE OF DRINKING. HE NOTED .THAT THE TRUE ALCOHOLIC IS FREQUENTLY FOUND IN THE BARS IN THE AFTERNOONS OR MORNINGS, COMMISSIONER SIEBERT STATED THAT HE, TOO, TALKED WITH SHERIFF .JOYCE IN REGARD TO HIS STATEMENT ABOUT INCREASED COSTS, AND SHERIFF JOYCE TOLD HIM THAT ACTUALLY IT WOULD ADD NO MORE TO THE INCREAS- ING COST OF LAW ENFORCEMENT THAN IS BEING CAUSED BY MANY OTHER PROBLEMS. HE NOTED THAT THE SHERIFF AT THE PREVIOUS MEETING REFERRED TO THE DETOX CENTER IN ST. LUCIE COUNTY HAVING 1,265 ADMISSIONS FROM ST. LUCIE AS COMPARED TO 483 FROM INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, WHICH HE RELATED TO THE LATER CLOSING HOUR IN ST. LUCIE COUNTY. COMMISSIONER SIEBERT INFORMED THE BOARD THAT HE LOOKED UP THE FIGURES FOR INDIAN. RIVER COUNTY WHEN THE DETOX CENTER WAS LOCATED IN THIS COUNTY, AND WE HAD OVER 3,000 ADMISSIONS IN COMPARISON TO SOME 2,000 FROM ST. LUCIE COUNTY. HE, THEREFORE, FELT THIS FIGURE WOULD RELATE MORE TO THE LOCATION'OF,THE DETOX CENTER THAN ANY OTHER REASON. COMMISSIONER SIEBERT POINTED OUT THAT OVER 200 BUSINESSES AND APPROXIMATELY 2,500 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED LETTERS, PETITIONS AND 7 mm . 32 mE448 J