Standing room only at Lima City council as four residents had privilege of the floor. None bigger than Jason Upthegrove as his bar, the Brownstone, has it's liquor license and future in jeopardy. Police Chief Kevin Martin doesn't want to see the liquor license renewed citing 47 responses by police to the bar since the first of last year. Upthegrove says he is being targeted unfairly because he is African American and the President of the NAACP.
Upthegrove said, "a lot of the information you're going to be getting tonight is going to be false. It's going to be full of lies, it's going to be full of speculation, and rhetoric designed to do only one thing is to limit my ability to make a living and my ability to provide for my family."
When it came time to vote for the opposition to renew the Brownstone Bar liquor license there was only one no vote that went towards a renewal, that coming from third ward councilman Jesse Lowe.
Lowe said, "there's bars in town that people know there's bad activity going on and they haven't been pin pointed upon. It's just like if you're going to touch one, touch them all. If they're wrong and dead wrong get rid of them. Revoke their license."
Lowe wants to see all bars treated the same across the board. Upthegrove said it wasn't about getting a liquor license renewed but a bigger picture of what's right for the citizens of Lima.
"I have a habit of wanting to speak up on behalf of the disenfranchised, I have a habit of wanting to speak up for those of color, those that are economically disadvantaged and the status quo finds it difficult to hear those words." said Upthegrove.
Upthegrove will now have his day in court in front of the state board of liquor control to have his license renewed.
