By Melinda Anne Roberts
Correspondent
GREEN BAY – A request by the Sardine Can to temporarily extend its licensed premises was considered by members of the Green Bay Protection and Policy Committee at its April 8 meeting.
The pub, located at 128 S. Broadway, sought permission to include its parking lot for special events Wednesday, June 19, July 10, and Aug. 7 (during Farmers Market On Broadway), and Saturday, Aug. 24.
The bar wants to serve malted beverages in its parking lot during those dates.
The Sardine Can was given permission in 2017 and 2018 to extend their premises for three nights during the markets.
District B Community Police Officer Eric Allen said there have been 95 calls to Sardine Can in the last year, “not all are high priority.”
“Some of the issues I worry about is public urination,” said Allen. “We’ve had quite a few times where people have been contacted for urinating on the property.”
Open intoxicants, trash, noise complaints, parking and over-serving are other issues, he said.
Allen said noise complaints were lodged when the music continued “slightly past” 10 p.m., after it is supposed to stop.
“The music does carry into the neighborhood,” he said, “and we do get a fair amount of complaints from people that live around there.”
Committee Chair and Alderman (District 7) Randy Scannell asked about outside porta potties and barriers to keep Sardine Can patrons on the property.
Allen said “there might have been” some porta potties but there were no barriers.
Sardine Can co-owner Brian Bunkelman said the bar has upped its security.
“In November/December 2018 we had two or three people get cited for public urination, so since then we’ve added more lighting behind our building to ensure that nothing happens,” he said. “We’ve put more security on. We’ve probably doubled outside the building ensuring nobody goes out any of the doors. We’ve repaired that issue to make sure that doesn’t occur.”
Bunkelman said he is working with the city parking department with the goal “to barricade Broadway at the corner of Howard all the way to the alley.”
“We work every day to make sure – we’ve brought on a new security manager late last year, we’ve revamped our entire security department, we’ve made sure that our bartenders understand we don’t overserve, so I think we’ve tried to get better from that perspective,” he said.
On a normal Wednesday Farmers Market, Bunkelman said there are 150-200 people.
On special event days, there are another 50 to 200 in the street who come through, not all at the same time, he said.
He said the bar provided three to four porta potties at every farmers market last year.
They also use a pressure washer to clean up sidewalks along Broadway.
The Sardine Can plans to put up snow fencing around the parking lot area and will have security personnel there along with barricades, he said.
Security personnel will also be trained to ensure patrons don’t leave the area and take their malted beverage to the farmers market.
Will Liebergen, owner of nearby Keggers bar, said the fencing and flow of people is an issue.
“There needs to be a zero barrier fence,” he said, “where alcohol cannot be transferred to minors.”
He said patrons come into other area bars with mixed drinks from the Sardine Can event.
“Down at other establishments in the event area we’re seeing drinks from (Sardine Can). And that’s not just on their big event days, that’s on the other event days. So their alcohol is ending up in our establishments and people are saying ‘Why can’t we take mixers to-go out of our establishments?’”
Allen said the police department “has tried to take an off-hands approach with people during the farmers market because I think there’s an illusion that they can walk freely. Our goal isn’t to necessarily ticket everybody but to get compliance. I have stopped numerous people myself during farmers market who are coming from the Sardine Can with open containers and I tell them dump it out. I have gone to the Sardine Can and talked to staff about manning the door. At times they seem to be understaffed and do not have that ability to stop people. As far as the outdoor events, like Will said, it’s very hard to control that area. It’s very dark, there’s a lighting issue. Broadway and Howard is a very dark intersection even though there’s a street light there. People do come and go with alcohol. I have talked to security staff they have hired to tell them to not allow people to come and go, but it still continues to happen.”
Alderman Brian Johnson of District 9, where the Sardine Can is located, said there are certain things that need to be talked about.
He said he also received phone calls about the Sardine Can and can confirm statements made by Allen.
“If you’re going to say today that this is the situation, we need a security plan to address it to prevent a problem in the future, then you risk losing your permits,” Johnson said. “I feel that that’s a fair response to that situation. The goal here is for them to allow an event but ensure that they do it in compliance.”
Security, fencing and porta potties were added to the motion to approve Sardine Can’s request.
The motion passed unanimously and will move to the common council for final approval.