Council denies proposed Hotshots security expansion; staff to pursue broader downtown safety plan

The Midland City Council voted 7–0 to deny an ordinance amendment that would have required additional security staff for the Hotshots lounge and similar late‑night venues. The vote follows several hours of public comment in which patrons, employees and the establishment’s owner disputed staff and neighborhood accounts about the source and frequency of incidents near the bar.

Elizabeth Triggs, the city’s planning and development officer, told council the amendment was prompted by a pattern of incident reports in a downtown corridor and objections from nearby property owners. The ordinance proposed to require two licensed security guards on late‑night shifts; council had previously required security for Friday and Saturday late-night hours while directed staff to review the effect of that requirement.

During a lengthy public-comment period, about two dozen speakers — including Hotshots owner David Chin, employees and customers — said the bar had invested in cameras, parking controls and weekend security and argued the business was being unfairly singled out. Opponents and some nearby property owners said calls for service and recorded incidents in the corridor justified stricter conditions.

Following the public testimony, Councilmember Norman moved to deny the proposed amendment; the motion carried 7–0. By denying the amendment the council left in place the existing SUD conditions (security required on Friday and Saturday late‑night hours) while asking staff to deliver a citywide, equitable approach.

City staff used the hearing time to present a three‑pronged downtown safety plan that members of the council described as a next step: 1) targeted patrols, using a bicycle and marked‑unit pairing to provide mobile late‑night coverage; 2) mobile and pole‑mounted camera trailers and pole cameras to expand video coverage; and 3) licensing and permitting changes that would require late‑night venues (those regularly open after midnight) to submit security plans or pay permit fees to support the program. Police Chief Miller said a pilot bicycle unit supported by a two‑officer marked patrol would be used Friday and Saturday nights in the hot‑spot corridor, and Chief Information Officer George Iskander described AI‑assisted monitoring that would forward alerts to dispatch in near real time.

Council members said they wanted an equitable program that would address the corridor’s problems without singling out a single business. Multiple council members asked staff to return in the coming months with a draft policy that could be applied uniformly to late‑night venues and with data showing where incidents originate. Council directed staff to deliver a recommended regulatory package and an implementation plan before the end of the year.

The denial ends the specific amendment request for Hotshots, but the council’s direction signals a broader city effort to combine targeted patrols, technology and licensing to address late‑night public‑safety problems downtown.