NASHUA – City bars and restaurants will not have the option to extend last call until 2 a.m. following the indefinite postponement of an ordinance aimed at allowing establishment owners to keep their doors open an extra hour.

When Ordinance 20-001 came up during Tuesday’s Board of Aldermen meeting, Alderman-at-Large Ben Clemons moved to amend the legislation by replacing it with an amendment made during last week’s Personnel and Administrative Affairs Committee meeting. That amendment adds that this legislation takes effect 90 days following its passage, and board members were in favor of the slight change. However, as board members began going around sharing comments on the matter, Clemons decided to make the motion to indefinitely postpone the ordinance.

Prior to Tuesday’s decision, Alderman-at-Large Brandon Laws said he did an informal phone bank of bar owners he knew in the city, and told board members that not one of them that he spoke with is for the legislation. While Laws did not talk to every bar owner, of those he did speak with, he said some of them are a little more indifferent to it, while most are against it altogether.

“I appreciate Alderman Clemons wanting to do this, and I think that he has a compelling argument, but if the argument is that this is something that is going to give restaurant owners some more options, and the restaurant owner don’t want that option, then I think it kind of kills the entire idea for me,” Laws said.

Alderwoman Elizabeth Lu asked if there were any establishments interested in taking advantage of the alcohol sales extension, and Clemons had a different response than Laws.

“There were several, and they were in the downtown, south end and north end,” Clemons said.

Alderman-at-Large Michael O’Brien proposed the idea of looking at the idea again in the future, citing the performing arts center and parking – since there is a pending study that is going to come out – as reasons to hold off.

“Maybe it’s just not the right time for this,” O’Brien said. “Maybe we should wait and take another peek at it, perhaps maybe next year, and I would be supportive of that.”

When it came time to vote on indefinite postponement, Clemons was the only board member who voted against doing so.

Adam Urquhart may be contacted at 594-1206, or at aurquhart@nashuatelegraph.com.