Riverside council members said they were concerned with complaints the city has received about the bar.
The Ohio Investigative Unit of the State Highway Patrol cited Oddbody’s in August for limitation on hours for on-premises consumption. Some patrons were drinking alcohol at around midnight. Riverside Police observed the infraction on Aug. 22, and the Ohio Investigative Unit later cited the bar.
The consumption of alcohol is in violation of an order issued by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on July 30 that stated establishments must stop selling alcoholic beverages at 10 p.m. and any drinks must be consumed by 11 p.m. Food can be served after 11 p.m., but alcohol may not be served. The restrictions are part of an effort to reduce COVID-19 cases during the pandemic.
The city council passed a resolution to object to the liquor license and it will be filed with the Division of Liquor Control. The council objected only to the renewal. The Division of Liquor Control approves or denies the licenses.
“So, as far as the new permit, the State of Ohio is going to be dealing with that, but they advised us just to object to the renewal and if these are duplicates then that new permit, most likely, will be dismissed administratively by Liquor Control,” Burkholder said.
Several members of the city council noted that parties at Oddbody’s have spilled into the parking lot at the shopping center on Burkhart Road where the bar is located. Council also discussed reaching out to the bar’s landlord to let the company know about the poor use of space during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some councilmembers said they received citizen complaints and the cops had been called to the bar on several occasions.
Riverside Police Chief Frank Robinson said the police have gone to Oddbody’s a few times in 2020, but they are not able to cite people for not wearing masks. That’s the job of the local health department, he said.
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