The Lincoln City Council will consider this week whether to pass an ordinance to allow establishments selling alcohol to remain open until 2 a.m.

Earlier this year, the state Legislature made it possible for an additional hour of alcohol sales, primarily at the request of communities along North Dakota's eastern border, allowing them to compete with Minnesota. Tumbleweed bar and grill owner Wayne Harrington requested that the council consider the later closing.

The council first heard the proposed ordinance at its July meeting. The council will hold a second reading and likely will vote on the ordinance at Thursday's 7 p.m. meeting

Lincoln's ordinance is the first in the area. Mandan is researching the issue, and it has yet to come up with the Bismarck City Commission.

"The only reason I asked for it is because it's available," Harrington said. "We're usually closed by 10 or 11 p.m. I just wanted it for the wedding dances and special events on weekends. State law allows for it, so why not use it?"

Harrington is more concerned about the new state law prohibiting smoking in establishments that also sell food, which the Tumbleweed does. His building isn't set up so he can partition it accordingly.

"I guess we'll just have to quit the smoking," he said. "We get a heck of a lunch crowd because of the construction, and I wouldn't want to lose that."

Jim Lindquist owns DJ's, the only other business in Lincoln that the law will affect.

"I don't think it will be that much of a change for our business at all," LIndquist said. "I really didn't think we needed it (the later closing) in the first place. For certain occasions, we will stay open the extra hour, but we won't be staying open to 2 a.m. on a regular basis."

Lincoln police chief Tiffany Harr didn't oppose the ordinance when it was brought to the city council and said she doesn't think it will burden her or the city's only other office, Jerry Wutzke. But she has concerns about additional late-night traffic to and from Bismarck as bar-hoppers try to get in one more hour of drinking.

"I think we may be handing out a lot more traffic DUIs and we might see more accidents," Harr said. "Our hours won't change, we'll just have more drunks out there driving. I'm going to meet with our portfolio holder on the council this week and voice my concerns. I have mixed feelings about it. If people want to get an hour more of drinking in, they should just come out an hour earlier."

Neither Mayor Glenn Christmann nor council member Ricky Fischer have concerns about the later closing time. Both said this next year will be a test for the ordinance, and if they come across any problems, they can change it back.

"I haven't heard any complaints about it yet," Christmann said. "I think it will be all right and I don't expect there will be a big rush of people coming out here. It might help the bars out a little bit, but I don't think it will be a big change.

"I don't think either of the bars are going to abuse it," Fischer said. "It's just something they're going to use on special occasions."

Council member Helen Magilke, who holds the law enforcement portfolio, wants to talk to Lincoln's officers before she takes any sides.

"My concern is how will it affect them (the officers)?" Magilke said. "Are we going to need another officer? We'll have to look at that. The council seems to be in favor, though I think a couple are on the fence. I guess I'm not especially for it. I remember years ago when everybody would go across the river to Mandan because they were on Mountain time and open an hour later. It got to be quite the problem. I ask myself whether it might become a problem here. We'll just have to work with our police."

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)