Mayor Shelley Welsch and council members looked on dispassionately, then acted quickly.

Bolstering the preliminary revocation resolution it adopted Monday night, the council added a more specific order to remove the liquor license from an “undesirable business” that opened without the city’s permission on a license issued to the Market Pub House.

“Ramo has deviated substantially” from the character of the Market Pub House, Cindy Ormbsy, an attorney representing the city, told the council.

Watkins likened the council’s tacking the “undesirable business” label onto Monday’s resolution to “being charged with jaywalking and getting convicted of murder.”

“There is nothing like this type of attention to give rise to a rugged individualist (Racanelli) from the heartland of America who desires nothing more than to pay his obligations and not be thwarted by heavy-handed, jack-booted, brown-shirt wearing individuals acting under color of municipal government,” Watkins said in remarks to reporters after the hearing.

As happy hour patrons began to filter out of Social House II in search of drinking establishments serving alcohol, the lawyer vowed to renew efforts Monday to secure a 30-day reprieve on the license revocation.

The City Council will also return to the matter Monday night when it considers an amendment to the municipal zoning ordinance to strictly limit the operation of “sexually oriented” businesses inside the city limits.

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