The last two weeks have seen between 62 and 65 night spots closed along a handful of major commercial corridors in the municipality of Guadalajara, chiefly for decibel level violations.
Now, City Hall and its mayor, Enrique Alfaro, are opening formal talks with the local chapter of the National Restaurant Industry Chamber (Canirac) to find a long-lasting solution to the problem. So far, they’ve come up with a four-pronged plan of attack for bringing offenders into line, the first one being to verify that licenses are in order; the second, that they abide by environmental norms; the third, that they take measures to control volume levels, and fourth, that they better comply with law enforcement and provide adequate security for their clientele.
According to Alfaro, six thoroughfares blanketed with restaurants, bars and discotheques will be the subject of the majority of governmental scrutiny. They are: Chapultepec, Avenida Mexico, Lopez-Cotilla, Chapalita, Boulevard Marcelino Garcia Barragan and Americas-Punto Sao Paulo.
Sergio Jaime Santos, representative for Canirac, promised they would lend their assistance to members to help them make the modifications necessary for compliance with the newly-minted policies. However, he also recognized that of the 60-odd establishments closed over the course of the last 14 days, few actually belonged to Canirac.
While a buzzing nightlife scene is important to most major cities culturally and monetarily, balancing its mandates with that of those living within earshot of that buzz is a constant challenge. Bringing the businesses who constitute the lifeblood of the city’s nocturnal life into the fold legally may go a long way to making that perpetual act of give-and-take between them and residents more equally matched.