Alcohol consumption permits at city parks

At Monday’s meeting, by a 3-1 vote, the council passed a policy allowing for special permits for alcohol consumption for special events in a few restricted areas on city property. Jill McCord was absent and Aaron Rodgerson opposed the measure.

The purpose and benefit of these policies is to expand the potential usage of a few of our public facilities by allowing a the opportunity for certain special events  that customarily have alcoholic beverages available. A good example would be a wedding reception with a champagne toast.

Please read, in full, the policies we voted in here:  Agenda for 1-5-08 meeting (click the appropriate links in the agenda)

It’s important to understand that these policies do not allow just anyone to wander into a city park and start drinking. These policies are for one-time special use permits only. They require considerable advance planning and do not apply to all city parks.

The first policy establishes a procedure for a private citizen to apply for a one-time permit to consume alcohol at a special event at the Rotary Park Amphitheater ONLY. The permit must be applied for 60 days  in advance, be reviewed by law enforcement, etc.

The second policy is similar, only it applies to municipal and non-profit organizations, and is restricted to the Amphitheater, North Park and the Airport. It adds additional requirements, such as insurance, security, a roped-off area, etc. All expenses must be paid for by the organization submitting the permit.

Once the applicant has jumped through those hoops, the permits must be approved by the city council and expires when the event is over.

We began discussing this last summer. In our research, we surveyed other Missouri cities. 11 responded, and 8 of those said they have similar policies on the books. All 8 reported no problems since their policy was enacted. Our policy is among the most restrictive.

It’s also important to remember that Kirksville has already had a similar policy in place for the downtown streets for many years. This has allowed some fun special events in the past, such as Il Spazio’s Octoberfest and Too Tall’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.

At the meeting, I voiced my concern about the adult league situation at North Park. I have spoken to a number of players and umpires who have said that the authority of the umpires has not been enforced, leading to poor sportsmanship and behavior from the participants. Although the policies we voted in give us the option to approve alcohol consumption permits for North Park, I stated that I WILL NOT SUPPORT any special use permit for alcohol at North Park adult ballgames until these issues are satisfactorily addressed and corrected. We need to see good, responsible behavior and have an effective system in place for enforcement before introducing alcohol into the mix.

A few citizens spoke out at the meeting about the overall dangers of alcohol, and I completely understand their concerns. Just like motor vehicles, sports, and many other activities, alcohol can have deadly consequences in the presence of irresponsible behavior.

However, I believe the vast majority of Kirksville citizens drink safely and responsibly. Based on our own experience with our current policy, along with the reported experiences of other cities and the restrictiveness of our policies, I do not believe we will have major problems resulting from this action. On the contrary, I’m confident this will enhance, and not detract from, our enjoyment of a few of our public spaces in Kirksville.