Outdoor Live Entertainment 

These are extraordinary economic times and many businesses throughout our community are struggling to make ends meet. In this challenging environment, the Naples City Council should be responsible yet flexible in assisting the local business community and not stand in their way.

Such is the case with the proposal to expand outdoor live entertainment in the city. 

Sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency, the Naples City Council has voted to allow live entertainment later than the code currently permits. Under this proposal, businesses in the district will be able to offer live entertainment until midnight on Thursdays through Saturdays. 

The code currently allows indoor live entertainment – defined as that in a fully enclosed building where the doors and windows remain closed – until 11:30 p.m. Outdoor live entertainment – defined as that outside a building or inside a building that is intentionally audible outside the building – is allowed to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.  

This additional hour or two of outdoor live entertainment (based on the day of the week) represents a goodwill gesture on behalf of the City Council in support of local businesses. It also is a good experiment, and we will know right away if it is a bad idea.  

Thanks to the work of many people throughout the city, Naples has a strong noise ordinance in place to ensure businesses don’t encroach upon residential areas.  

Business owners should be on notice, that as councilman, I will not tolerate any abuse of the rules. If they overstep the limits of the expanded hours of entertainment, the noise ordinance will be vigorously enforced and I will not shy away from disallowing their permit.