Council orders 11 p.m. closing, 30-day insurance requirement after review of Precise Conference Center

The Montgomery City Council on a unanimous-plus-one vote moved to require the Precise Conference Center at 546 East Patton Avenue to close by 11 p.m. and to provide evidence within 30 days that it is pursuing liquor-liability insurance.

The action follows a review during which city officials and council members said the venue had operated late-night events, with hours cited as 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., ticketed events, and instances of patrons bringing their own alcohol. City staff described the activity as inconsistent with how conference centers traditionally operate and said the current licensing allowed a gap they intend to close.

Council members and staff said they had received repeated neighborhood complaints about noise, loitering and traffic tied to nighttime events. “If somebody gets drunk inside your venue and drives down the road and kills somebody, y’all are liable for that,” a council member told the owner during the hearing.

Danielle Holmes, who identified herself as the owner/operator, disputed characterizing the business as a nightclub and pushed back on some allegations. Holmes said she had not been required previously to carry liquor-liability insurance and that earlier council guidance had not made that explicit. At one point she said, “I disagree,” in response to an official assertion that the venue was operating as a club.

The council instructed city staff to return to committee to draft clearer definitions and rules that would apply to conference and event centers citywide. Council members scheduled an administrative business review meeting for 9 a.m. the next day to work on a comprehensive definition and enforcement approach; the council also set a 30-day follow-up for the Precise Conference Center matter. The motion passed with seven yes votes and one no vote.

Officials said enforcement details — which department will verify hours and insurance and how penalties would be applied — will be discussed in the business review and in committee work on the ordinance language. The council repeatedly emphasized that if a venue intends to operate as a nightclub or to sell alcohol, it must apply for the proper ABC license and comply with liquor-liability requirements.

The council did not adopt a citywide closing hour for all conference centers at the meeting; several members said that would require separate ordinance drafting and public notice. For the Precise Conference Center specifically, the council’s direction was immediate: close by 11 p.m., pursue liquor-liability insurance and return in 30 days with proof of progress.

Next steps include the administrative business review meeting and a committee process to define “conference center” and related licensing requirements citywide. The council said it intends to return the revised standards to the council for formal consideration.