The sidewalk cafe at Barbette in Uptown. Photo by Tom Wallace.

There's snow on the ground and the temp is still in the single digits. But a debate is brewing over the future of sidewalk cafes and patios in Minneapolis neighborhoods. Last week, a city council subcommittee discussed a proposal that would put new standards on establishments outside of downtown.

The proposed restrictions (penned by council member Meg Tuthill) are heavily focused on the amount of noise emanating from neighborhood bars and restaurants. The draft included restrictions on outdoor capacity limits, the banning of amplified music after 10 p.m. (in outdoor areas) and other methods for monitoring noise problems. The proposal would exclude downtown.

A group of bars and restaurants who oppose the changes have taken their cause to the best-known forum for public dissent: Facebook. The Facebook page is called "Minneapolitans for Going Outside" and has received a fair amount of traffic, including posts from council members Tuthill and Lisa Goodman. From the comments, it's clear the debate has struck a chord with patio lovers. See for yourself here: www.facebook.com/MinneapolitansOutside.

After launching Thursday, the page has nearly 700 likes, with citizen comments ranging from "screw this amendment" to "some of this response is being blown out of proportion."

One thing's for sure, the proposal's wording (a recent draft can be read here) has led to some confusion among both detractors and supporters.

An updated version was scheduled to go before the city council's Regulatory, Energy and Environment committee on Monday, but it has been taken off the agenda. Apparently, council member Tuthill will be giving the proposed ordinance some tweaks. Tuthill herself wrote a post on the Facebook page stating, "I will be seeking public and industry input and of course there will be a public hearing before it goes before the council."