THOUSAND OAKS : Tighter Nightclub Rules Are Imposed

Saying the new restrictions will bring “law and order back to the midnight hours,” the Thousand Oaks City Council has revised the city ordinance governing nightclubs to more tightly regulate them.

The council at its meeting Tuesday night unanimously approved the revisions, which were prompted by complaints from police and residents about crime, noise and public drunkenness at some establishments.

The new law applies specifically to new businesses. But the owners of the Yucatan Cantina and Red Onion nightclubs, which have been the source of many complaints, have voluntarily agreed to comply with the new rules outlined in the ordinance.

As a result, alcohol sales will be prohibited at the clubs during “Teen Nights,” when minors are allowed in to dance. Previously, patrons 21 and older wore bracelets to show they were permitted to drink.

The revised law also calls for clubs to provide adequate security personnel to maintain order and to ensure that noise and music emanating from a club do not reach an excessive level.

The council also agreed Tuesday to waive a $250 fee for the Yucatan Cantina and Red Onion to change the conditions of their permits allowing alcohol sales.

Not everyone was pleased with the new regulations.

“I feel the Red Onion is a safe place to go, and there’s nothing wrong with it,” said 19-year-old Kimberly Kavett, who spoke out against the new law. “It seems like they just want to control us. They just want to shut us down. But there’s no place else for us to go.”