Port Orchard, Wash. — The Port Orchard City Council spent its discussion item on Nov. 25 weighing whether to retain the city's cabaret license, a regulatory permit historically used for restaurants and other venues that host live entertainment.

City counsel framed the cabaret license as a long-standing compliance tool. "The cabaret license in the city of Port Orchard has served a similar function for a number of years... and that is a $100 annual fee that the businesses pay to be reviewed," the city attorney said, adding the license is sometimes used as leverage during long-running code-enforcement matters.

Staff and council members discussed usage data and enforcement examples. The attorney gave an example of an ongoing compliance case involving an unpermitted gas radiant heater in which the city withheld or suspended the cabaret license while working toward retroactive permits and compliance. Staff also provided application counts over recent years (15 applications in 2020; 8 in 2021; 10 in 2022; 9 in 2023–2025) to illustrate low volumes and an infrequent denial rate.

Council members asked whether the license triggers routine inspections (staff said inspections are generally complaint- or permit-driven, not automatic), whether the regulatory permit could be folded into the general business license, and whether removing the cabaret license would leave a gap in rules related to adult-entertainment uses. "I do have an answer on the adult entertainment issue already," the city attorney said, adding that zoning and other code provisions constrain where adult-oriented businesses could locate; he also cautioned that some legal limits (including free-speech protections) affect how far the city may restrict such uses.

Council requested additional information, including a list of current cabaret-license applicants and a clearer legal analysis. The council then voted to move into a 10-minute executive session under state law to discuss legal risk; no formal action was taken on the cabaret license that night.

Why it matters: The cabaret license is a small-fee regulatory tool but can carry enforcement leverage. Decisions about retaining or repealing it affect how the city balances voluntary compliance, safety oversight for higher-occupancy events, and regulatory burdens on small businesses that host live entertainment.

What's next: Staff will return with more data, a list of affected licensees and any proposed ordinance language; the council will consider the matter further after the executive-session consultation with legal staff.