by ABC-7 Reporter/Anchor Maria Garcia

EL PASO, Texas -- Residents and club owners will have to sit down with a mediator to resolve the issue of complaints over bars in Hawkins Plaza, City Council decided Tuesday.

Council members were originally supposed to discuss weather to amend or terminate the lease with Patriot Place Management (PPM), the company that leases the land to the 3 Legged Monkey, Wet Ultra Lounge and The Crystal Palace.

However, in an unexpected move, East-Central Representative Emma Acosta asked council to delete those items on the agenda and instead include an item that would require all parties involved to meet with an experienced mediator.

The mediator would have to be familiar with public policy and would have to unfamiliar with the situation, perhaps from out of town.

The city would have to pay for the mediator, but Acosta did not yet know how much it would cost.

"This is something that is used by the courts system and I'm confident all parties will be heard and we can find a better solution," Acosta said.

However, residents of the area, who showed up to council ready to address the representatives, were visibly upset. They even had a DVD of video they say shows patrons of the clubs disturbing their neighbors.

"We already know the 3 Legged Monkey and the other clubs have outgrown that area, and a mediator won't change that," said Yvonne Bucher, a member of the Cielo Vista Neighborhood Association.

However, the owner of Wet Ultra Lounge was content with council's decision. "We've always wanted to work this out with neighbors, and once we sit down and discuss this, I'm sure we can all find a solution," said Matt Meagher.

The city attorney's office now must find a mediator and a timetable has not yet been established.

ABC-7 obtained a copy of the video that neighbors say shows club patrons spilling into their neighborhood. Click on the link to the top left to view the video.