Maplewood renews Myth liquor license with conditions

The city of Maplewood renewed the liquor license for the Myth Live II concert venue for 2020, but with a list of 25 additional ongoing conditions that include regular meetings with police, retaining surveillance video for at least 90 days and not offering bottle service.

The City Council voted unanimously to approve the annual license at Monday's meeting, with Mayor Marylee Abrams saying she is pleased the number of emergency calls for service to the venue have dropped by nearly 60% in the past six months.

But before the council vote, an attorney for Myth gave a blistering statement accusing the city of violating Myth's due process and constitutional rights by first imposing conditions last summer and continuing to do so next year.

In September, Myth sued the city in Ramsey County District Court alleging that the conditions imposed by the city in the wake of a heightened number of police calls are "unlawful, arbitrary" and threaten "the very existence of Myth and its business."

"You treated my client and her lawyers with a disgusting display of disrespect," said Myth attorney William Skolnick.

Skolnick told the council there has been "substantial financial damage inflicted by your actions."

In April, city leaders ordered Myth managers to comply with an operational action plan drafted by Police Chief Scott Nadeau after a spate of violent episodes and drug overdoses.

Police had responded to more than 260 calls for service in and around the club in the previous two years, including a shooting, sexual assaults, brawls and 30 drug and alcohol overdoses, according to a city report.

"We are going to require you to do better," Abrams told club managers in April.

The conditions imposed on Myth include communicating regularly with police, monitoring of bathrooms and other areas where drugs may be ingested, training staff to recognize intoxication and limiting the amount of hard alcohol per drink to 1.5 ounces.

Shannon Prather • 651-925-5037