Minneapolis isn't exactly keen on the idea of keeping bars open later for the Republican National Convention, but city officials may be willing to deal.

Across the river in St. Paul, which is hosting the convention at the Xcel Energy Center, city officials had similar reactions to their Minneapolis counterparts.

They were responding Tuesday to the legislative proposal to allow cities within 10 miles of the convention to push the bar closing time from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. during the 11 days around the Sept. 1-4 convention.

"The St. Paul Police Department has concerns about the additional costs of public safety, estimated at nearly $500,000, by extending the bar hours until 4 a.m. during the convention," said Assistant Chief Matt Bostrom, who's heading up convention security.

Minneapolis Council Member Paul Ostrow was ready to nix the whole idea. A prime factor is that police already will be working 12-hour shifts during the convention.

But the Minneapolis council's intergovernmental panel on Tuesday heeded the plea of Mayor R.T. Rybak not to make a decision yet. The proposal comes from Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis.

Later bar hours would be just fine with Council Member Ralph Remington. "People don't say, 'I'm coming to Minneapolis to have fun,'" he opined. Longer bar hours would help, he said. But colleague Diane Hofstede said she'd rather the city's fun quotient be judged on cultural and family activities.

Council members agreed they don't want neighborhood bars staying open until 4 a.m.

There was doubt about whether the city could do more than vote yes or no on the longer hours, which also includes temporary Sunday liquor store hours. So council members instructed city lobbyists to ask for the power to designate where the longer hours would be allowed and for how many days.

St. Paul Council Member Pat Harris said that he's open to exploring the idea but that the two cities need to work together.

"I'm opposed," said St. Paul Council Member Lee Helgen, who intends to bring a resolution to the City Council today that says as much. Later bar hours were never an expectation in the deal, he said, and he doesn't think an exception needs to be made.

"I've got a ton of questions," said Council President Kathy Lantry. She said she wouldn't support a citywide extension but might be able to get behind something that gives the city controls.

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