By Khalida Sarwari
Villa Ragusa will begin offering its banquet customers the option to have a DJ or live bands late into the night with the Campbell City Council’s approval of a live entertainment permit.
The council gave unanimous approval at a Nov. 20 meeting for a permit that will allow the venue to host a DJ and live bands Sunday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday, Saturday and holidays from 8 a.m. to midnight.
The venue also received approval for live entertainment on New Year’s Eve until 1 a.m.
Nicholas Gera, a Saratoga resident who is part owner of Campbell Ventures Inc., applied for the permit and, as part of the application process, passed a background check and paid an $866 fee. He operates the company with his business partner, Bozo Margaretich.
Sgt. Joe Cefalu told the council that the police department supported allowing a DJ and live bands at Villa Ragusa with the stipulation that “if the live entertainment creates a continued public nuisance or there are significant calls for service, the police department would have the authority to prohibit live entertainment from continuing and revoke the permit.” But, he said, Campbell Ventures has operated Villa Ragusa since 2001 and is in good standing under the state’s laws.
The area where the performers will play will vary depending upon the size of the event and room that is reserved, but all music will be played inside the facility at 35 S. Second St. The permit also stipulates that bands and DJs must be arranged and paid for by the clients of the banquet hall.
A conditional-use permit allowing live entertainment at Villa Ragusa was adopted and passed in September, but the business still needed to obtain a permit from the police department per city municipal code before allowing live entertainment on site.
With the approval of the live entertainment permit, Gera must pay the city an annual fee of $306.
DJs, live bands able to play late into night at Villa Ragusa, says council
