Savannah residents, officials to discuss nighttime management plan

Once the sun sets, Savannah’s charm gives way to Savannah’s spirit.

At times, the city’s festive nightlife turns rowdy, even violent. The disorderliness peaked in spring 2022, with several shootings in or near downtown bars. The alarming trend prompted Savannah City Council in April 2022 to commission the development of a nighttime management program.

The plan’s recommendations, drafted by the Responsible Hospitality Institute, will be unveiled to the public Thursday in two informational sessions at the Coastal Georgia Center. Meeting times are 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Savannah City Council will address the plan once stakeholders and the public give feedback, Mayor Van Johnson said. He added council can vote to accept “none, some or all” of the recommendations.

The Responsible Hospitality Institute studied Savannah’s nightlife over a six-month period last year and held 30 meetings with more than 100 participants representing 65 local organizations and businesses. The group focused on Savannah's "social economy," defined as the venues and events that facilitate sociability in the form of dining, entertainment, events, and nightlife.

Here are the findings and recommendations that will be discussed at Thursday’s meetings.

Actions to lay a foundation

Launch the Savannah Office of Nightlife.

Form a Social Economy Advisory Board.

Conduct an economic analysis of the social economy.

Explore sources of funding to support the social economy and the Office of Nightlife.

Actions to play for people in the social economy

Improve the 311 system as a resource for residents, not tourists.

Revive an ambassador program.

Address the impacts of short-term vacation rentals.

Improve notification systems to residents about new venues.

Conduct a lighting assessment of social clusters.

Connect visitors and venues with social service resources.

Expand mobility service to/from downtown to the arena.

Empower parking services to authorize towing.

Improve communication on street closures for events.

Create a rideshare hub for closing time pick‐up.

Actions to assure safety

Create a multi‐disciplinary team approach to public safety at night.

Create a dedicated downtown nightlife police unit.

Explore improvements and alternatives to off‐duty officers system.

Host educational forums between venues and safety agencies.

Develop an accreditation process for server-training programs.

Reinstate a server registry.

Create a sexual violence prevention program.

Actions to enhance vibrancy

Revive and sustain a nightlife association.

Create nighttime recreational opportunities for youth.

Activate public spaces with public art.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: A Savannah Office of Nightlife? Nightlife police? Group unveils nighttime management plan

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