Some local restaurants and bars may have to close their doors because of a new city standard that requires 12 or fewer alcohol-related violations per year for establishments to receive a positive recommendation from the city attorney for renewal of liquor licenses.

During the annual process, John Klaus, Ames city attorney, reviews the number of on-the-premises violations reported by Ames police before giving a positive or negative recommendation for renewal.

Klaus said he’s “decided not to make [positive] recommendations” to the Ames City Council to renew liquor licenses for businesses with more than 12 violations a year because he’s concerned that too many minors are drinking alcoholic beverages.

Peter Sherman, owner of the Boheme Bistro, 2900 West St., said his business was the first to undergo the renewal process after the 12-violation limit started, and with 15 violations during the past year, Boheme Bistro was not given a positive recommendation by Klaus.

Instead, the Boheme Bistro was awarded a six-month seasonal license at the June 27 meeting of the Ames City Council. At that meeting, Sherman appealed the cancellation of the 12-month license because he said there were no warnings about the limit prior to the recommendation letter he received from Klaus.

“We have [written] a letter to other businesses warning them,” Sherman said. “If you have a policy, it should be well-defined.”

If the Boheme fails to win its appeal for a new license, Sherman said it would have to close its doors.

Sherman has said in the past that he believes Boheme was specially targeted because of racism, since the establishment’s clientele is largely international students.

“Given the disparity between the number of citations, there is every reason to speculate discrimination of some kind,” Sherman said.

Sherman is not the only one requesting information about the renewal process before it becomes effective.

Tom Northrop, one of the owners of Welch Avenue Station, 207 Welch Ave., agreed, saying “whatever the policy is going to be, they should let all licensees know about it immediately.”

Lovish Bedarzac, owner of Cafe Lovish, 2512 Lincoln Way, said he was not aware of the new recommendation.

“In my establishment, the person in charge of the door is the one who has to pay,” Bedarzac said, clarifying that the person who checks IDs at the doors is fined if a minor is caught for drinking.

“Boheme has infringed the law, and we [the owners of other businesses] are the ones who suffer the consequences,” Bedarzac said.

People’s Bar and Grill, 2428 Lincoln Way, will be the next establishment to go through the renewal process. Its liquor license is valid until Aug. 23.

It also has exceeded the 12-violation limit during the past year.

Tom Zmolek, owner of People’s Bar and Grill, said he knew about the new standard only through media coverage.

“Nobody from the city has ever contacted me regarding that policy,” Zmolek said.

Other bars near Campustown, including The Dean’s List, Lumpy’s, Sips and Paddy’s Irish Pub, have also exceeded the violation limit since their last renewals. None of the representatives from those establishments were available for comment Monday night.

Some owners are displeased with the way violations are handled and about the 12-violation rule.

Northrop said he believes if the renewal procedures are going to be changed, so should the way violations are handled.

“If they are going to ticket someone for a violation, they should immediately let the manager on duty know about it and send a letter to the owner of the business to let him know,” Northrop said.

Zmolek agreed with Northrop that owners should be made more aware of their violation status and said he thinks 12 violations is too small a number.

“I don’t think it is reasonable for them to think that we can do a better job than 12 [violations a year],” Zmolek said, “if we are not contacted as to where the violations occur.”

Leo De Paula, owner of Cafe Beaudelaire, 2504 Lincoln Way, said his business is aimed toward an older audience, so the cap on the number of violations allowed will not be a problem for him.

“I know for other people it is going to be hard,” De Paula said. “I don’t blame them for trying to change that.”