WeHo City to Consider Supporting Extended Hours of Alcohol Sales

At the next regular West Hollywood City Council meeting on Monday, June 27, 2022, the City Council will consider approving agenda item 2CC in the consent calendar adopting a resolution in support of SB 930, allowing the participation of the City of West Hollywood in the extended hours of alcohol sales pilot program referenced in the bill.

According to a City Staff report participation in the pilot program will afford the City ample local discretion to design a local extended hours program that best meets West Hollywood’s needs. These local features include limiting extended hours permits to certain areas of the City, as well as designating a specific body such as the Business License Commission to conduct public hearings for the purpose of issuing extended hours permits, and more.

On June 2, 2022, Senator Scott Wiener amended SB 930, which he had originally introduced on February 7, 2002, to address housing matters in the state. As amended on June 2, SB 930 would:

1. Beginning January 1, 2025, and before January 2, 2030, require the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to conduct a pilot program that would authorize the department to issue extended hours license to an on-sale licensee located in a qualified city that would authorize, with or without conditions, the selling, giving, or purchasing of alcoholic beverages at the licensed premises between the hours of 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., upon completion of specified requirements by the qualified city in which the licensee is located.
2. Impose specified fees related to the license to be deposited in the ABC Fund.
3. Require the applicant to notify specified persons of the application for extended hours license and would provide a procedure for protest and hearing regarding the
   application.
4. Require the Department of the California Highway Patrol and each qualified city that
   has elected to participate in the program to submit reports to the Legislature and specified committees regarding the regional impact of the extended hours licenses, as specified.
5. Provide that any person under21 years of age who enters and remains in the licensed public premises during the additional serving hour without lawful business therein is guilty of a misdemeanor, as provided.
6. The pilot program would apply to the Cities of Cathedral City, Coachella, Fresno, Oakland, Palm Springs, and West Hollywood, and the City and County of San Francisco.
   As amended on June 2, 2022, SB 930 provides ample discretion to “qualifying” cities referenced in the bill. Section 1 above mentions “upon completion of specified requirements by the qualified city in which the licensee is located.” This means that each qualifying city, including West Hollywood, will be able to design a local extended hours program in which the City will be able to establish guidelines, define specific areas in which establishments could operate extended hours of alcohol sales, develop an application and review process, etc. As the bill defers to cities to decide how to shape the extended hours program, West Hollywood could establish a program with its own requirements, such as
   it could choose to limit the hours to 3 a.m. instead of 4 a.m. or extend hours only on certain days of the week.

Item 2CC recommends the following:

1. Adopt the resolution in support of SB 930 (Wiener) Alcoholic Beverages Hours of Sale.
2. Direct staff to send copies of the adopted resolution to Governor Gavin Newsom, Senators Scott Wiener and Ben Allen, Assembly member Richard Bloom, and other legislators and statewide partners as appropriate.
3. Direct staff to actively engage and participate with Senator Wiener’s staff to ensure any City concerns and ideas can be properly considered by the author and any policy committees considering the bill.