Gulf Shores, Ala. – (OBA) – Gulf Shores City Council heard a request from owners of Cohiba Dunes bar in Pelican Place on the renewal of its business license for 2024.

Deputy Police Chief Dan Netemeyer noted several instances where late-night problems occurred at the bar but said he agreed the owners were working hard to fix the problems. He spoke at the end of the Jan. 22 regular council meeting.

Owner Dan Alexander showed the council pictures of his bar at midnight and then on the same night at 1 a.m.

“There are 7 people in there at midnight,” Alexander said. “Then at 1 a.m. there are 85 to 100 people in there.”

Alexander said the late-night crowd comes from restaurant workers rushing from their jobs to have a few drinks before going home. The bar had been staying open until 3 a.m. but Netemeyer said that’s when the late-night instances have occurred with highly intoxicated customers and drug activity.

Closing the bar an hour or hour and a half earlier would effectively kill his business, Alexander said. But he said the bar was trying to add food with hopes of attracting an earlier crowd and asked for time develop a new concept.

The owners agreed to present a business plan before the next work session on Jan. 29 and get a public hearing and vote on the status of the license likely in the next regular session on Feb. 5.

Another bar facing scrutiny in 2023, Mudbugs Pub, made changes sought for by the police department and its 2024 license was renewed without a hitch.

During the meeting, the council:

Awarded the $1.8 million bid for a detour through the Gulf Pines neighborhood so work can begin on the pedestrian bridge the city planning over the Intracoastal Waterway at the 90-degree intersection of East Second Street and Canal Road. Another resolution the council will discuss is taking over the state’s right of way on State Route 180 from East Fourth Street on Canal Road and around the corner to East 22nd Avenue on East Second Street or the area of work for the bridge.

During the meeting, the council also:

Approved inter-city transfer of $10 million to cover the beach renourishment to be reimbursed by FEMA and the state for a total of $11.6 million in expense vouchers. There were $720,000 in capital projects and $400,000 in operations including street resurfacing.

Accepted a check from former Councilmember Carolyn Doughty and the Baldwin Electrical Cooperative from the utility tax collected from meters inside the city limits for $1.2 million.

Oversaw the promotions and swearing-in of lifeguards Kimberly Lee, Scout Alexander, Robbie Bishop and Cory Foley to the position of Beach Lieutenants.

Voted in a ban on alcohol on city beaches during spring break for the ninth year. This year’s dates are March 1 through April 28.

Approved a task order with Hagerty Consulting for cost recovery grant management services related to the beach renourishment project for $24,875.