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Approving the application with conditions, per the Deputy Legislative Hearing Officer, to add a Gambling Location license to the existing Liquor On Sale - 101-180 Seats, Liquor On Sale - Sunday, Liquor On Sale - 2AM Closing, Liquor Outdoor Service Area (Patio), and Entertainment (B) licenses, for RAS Ethiopian Bar & Restaurant LLC (I.D. #20100000062), d/b/a RAS Restaurant & Lounge at 2516 7th Street West.
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WHEREAS, RAS Restaurant & Lounge has applied for a Gambling Location license to add to its existing Liquor On Sale - 101-180 Seats, Liquor On Sale - Sunday, Liquor On Sale - 2AM Closing, Liquor Outdoor Service Area (Patio), and Entertainment (B) licenses, and
WHEREAS, § 409.21 of the Saint Paul Legislative Code permits issuance of a gambling location license to an on-sale licensee to allow lawful gambling conducted by a qualified charitable organization; and
WHEREAS, the license will allow RAS Restaurant & Lounge to conduct lawful gambling as defined by § 409.21 (a) (1) of the Saint Paul Legislative Code at 2516 7th Street West; and
WHEREAS, Twin Cities Metro Chapter UNICO National is a nonprofit organization licensed by the state to conduct lawful gambling and is in compliance with Minnesota Statute § 349; and
WHEREAS, the Deputy Legislative Hearing Officer recommends that the application for the gambling location license for operation at RAS Restaurant & Lounge be approved with the following conditions:
1. The licensee shall provide and maintain working video surveillance cameras and recorders on the premises (both inside and outside) in accordance with Saint Paul Police Department (SPPD) recommendations. The number of cameras, their placement and their quality must be approved by SPPD; and there shall be adequate lighting to support the camera placement. This equipment must be in operation during all business hours. Tapes/recordings must be maintained for a minimum of thirty (30) days, and there shall be an employee on-staff at all times with the ability to make them immediately available to the SPPD and/or the Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) upon request. Video surveillance equipment shall be installed prior to the issuance of any license(s).
2. The licensee shall provide an adequate security staff from 9:30 p.m. until 2:30 a.m. (or until all customers/patrons have left the premises, including the parking lot area) every Friday and Saturday night to ensure a safe and secure environment for the public and their employees. Security personnel are in addition to bartenders, servers, and cooks (staff assigned to these duties are not considered part of the security staff), and shall wear clothing that clearly identifies them as security. The licensee and security staff shall be responsible for monitoring both the interior and exterior of the premises, and shall patrol the parking lot area on a regular basis.
3. Last call shall be given no later than 1:30 a.m., and the licensee shall ensure that all patrons have left the premises (including the parking lot area) no later than 2:30 a.m.
4. The license holder or security shall immediately notify police of any individuals engaging in unlawful behavior or suspected unlawful behavior.
5. The food and beverage (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) service to the patio must stop at 10:00 PM each night of the week. Patrons will be allowed to smoke on the patio until 2:00 AM.
6. The licensee shall post signs in Ethiopian and English in their restaurant and on Sibley Manor property to communicate to their customers that there shall be no parking on Sibley Manor property.
7. The licensee shall keep all windows and doors closed whenever entertainment is provided.
8. No audible entertainment may be provided outside the establishment (e.g., the patio seating area).
9. The licensee shall contract for weekly trash service.
10. The license holder shall make sure that all refuse and trash that is on the premises and/or surrounding sidewalk is removed from the licensed premises, and the surrounding sidewalk by noon on a daily basis.
11. Licensee agrees to maintain the off-street parking lot area in a manner consistent with the approved site plan on file with the Department of Safety and Inspections dated 02/27/2013. This includes maintaining the striping of the parking lot, compact and handicap parking space signage, vehicle curb-stop parking barriers, trash container fencing, and bike rack.
12. Licensee agrees to maintain a barrier sufficient to prevent customer and/or employee vehicles from parking and/or driving on the separate parcel of vacant land with property identification number 212823140004 (located immediately behind this property). The current approved barrier is the curb-stop parking barriers as shown on the approved site plan on file with DSI dated 2/27/2013. Further, licensee agrees to obtain prior written site plan approval from DSI, and to make all necessary improvements to this vacant parcel of land as required under this approval process, before using this property in any manner (e.g., parking of customer and/or employee vehicles, allowing access to this vacant parcel of land from their property, placement of trash/recycling containers, etc.).
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Saint Paul hereby approves this license application with the aforementioned agreed-upon conditions.
The Conditions Affidavit was submitted on June 30, 2016.