'Absolutely no excuses,' sheriff says
The new Fat City zoning ordinance that forces bars to close weekdays at midnight and weekends at 1 a.m. takes effect today, but authorities won't begin hard-line enforcement until Sunday morning.
A pedestrian walks along 18th Street in Fat City last fall. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said Thursday that patrol deputies and vice squad officers will be out and about as usual tonight, but in more of an educational capacity.
"We're just going to be in kind of a warning stage," Normand said, "making sure they know how to be in compliance."
Most people probably know about controversial new closing times, brought about by parish officials' vision of a safer, more family-friendly Fat City, Normand said. Parish Council member Cynthia Lee-Sheng led the charge to transform Metairie's wayward entertainment district, passing a 64-page zoning ordinance that contained stricter regulations for bars in Fat City.
The most contested change was the rule requiring bars to close on weekdays at midnight and weekends at 1 a.m.
On Saturday evening, Normand said, the Sheriff's Office will send out personnel specifically to enforce Sunday's 1 a.m. closing time.
"Saturday night is the night -- absolutely no excuses," Normand said.
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Michelle Hunter can be reached at mhunter@timespicayune.com or 504.883.7054.