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Resident urges Port Orchard council to remove cabaret license, saying it burdens small venues
Summary
At the Feb. 11 meeting Robert McGee urged council to eliminate the city's cabaret license, calling it redundant with fire, occupancy and liquor regulations and proposing alternatives; councilmembers suggested committee review but took no formal action.
Port Orchard — Robert McGee urged the Port Orchard City Council on Feb. 11 to remove the city's cabaret license requirement, saying the permit is outdated, duplicative of fire and occupancy rules and imposes costs and staff workload that outweigh its revenue.
"These licenses have become outdated, burdensome, and counterproductive in today's environment," McGee told the council. He said the cabaret license restricts live performance, adds costs for small businesses and consumes staff time across departments for a $200 license that, by his records, generated about $3,300 last year. McGee pointed to New York City's 2017 decision to rescind its cabaret law as an example of relying on existing regulations instead of a separate license.
McGee proposed alternatives including handling noise and safety issues through existing zoning and code enforcement, clearer objective criteria if further regulation is needed, and more community engagement rather than a separate cabaret permit. When Councilmember Chang asked for clarification about the type of activity the cabaret license covers, McGee said it typically applies to indoor venues that offer live music, karaoke, dancing and similar entertainment and that fire code and occupancy limits already address safety concerns.
Councilmembers did not take formal action at the meeting. Councilmember Morrison later suggested the matter could be taken up by the Economic Development Committee for further review; another councilmember said it could also be a Land Use Committee item. City staff were referenced during public comment — McGee said he had received information from "Angela" about the fire code portion of the review — but no staff report or ordinance amendment was presented to the full council at this meeting.
The resident's remarks and council discussion did not change city code at the Feb. 11 meeting; councilmembers indicated interest in committee consideration or more information rather than immediate action.
