Don’t propose opening a cabaret in Brighton

BRIGHTON — Don’t tell Liza Minnelli. Life will soon no longer be a cabaret in Brighton. Instead, it will be a cafe, restaurant, tavern or even a sexually oriented business.

One of Minnelli’s classic roles was as Sally in the musical “Cabaret,” where she famously sings in the closing number, “Life is a cabaret, old chum…”

While Brighton’s city code provided licenses for cabarets, that will no longer be the case if the City Council moves ahead as recommended to change its business licenses. Instead, cabarets will be covered under the Land Use and Development Code, and the colorful image of the cabaret will fall to history.

The city is considering a range of changes to business licenses at its meeting Tuesday night. The council will consider eliminating some categories, significantly change others and amend several. 

Cabarets are not the only category to be eliminated. Circuses and carnivals, which are temporary business uses, are now handled through temporary use language in the Land Use and Development Code. 

Set for what staff has characterized as comprehensive change are city regulations that license individuals to be security guards. Instead of licensing individuals, the city may decide to license companies that employ security guards, and leave the requirements for those guards up to the companies themselves to determine.

Pawnbroker licenses also will be changed; instead of a local license that draws requirements from city code, the city will pick up the state statute requirements for pawnbrokers.

The licensing requirements for arborists and group home operators will be amended. Tree care professionals still will be licensed but may be able to use licenses earned in other communities. 

Group home operators will no longer be licensed locally but will be regulated by the state and the city will require the state certification in order to operate.

The Brighton City Council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

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