Sept 16 Special Board Meeting
The issue of alcohol in public places was revisited this morning after a hastily called meeting (posted 7:35AM yesterday) to take up the matter. You may recall the crisis was precipitated by a tie vote of the BOA to table repealing the ordinance banning alcohol in public places.
Hoy moved for moving the ordinance off the table, second by Bossert, all four aldermen voted for reconsideration of the ordinance repeal. Discussion by the BOA and members of the public followed (there were at least 16 members of the public in attendance, the most in recent memory. The BOA basically echoed their previous points of view. Vic mentioned calling residents near the parks on the West Side with mixed results. Mary read an email from Park Board President Lisa Moratz who felt if the ordinance was not repealed they would be obligated to post signs regarding the ban.
Norm Runyon was the most vocal in voicing his opposition to the repeal. To be sure he gave a thoughtful perspective on why alcohol should not be allowed in the parks/public places. There was no other support for maintaining the current ordinance.
Vic offered an amendment "consumption of intoxicating liquid shall be with a non-fee permit issued by the Park Board with notification to the Police Department". The motion for the amendment died for a lack of second.
Vote for repeal was then conducted, unanimous for repeal...champagne corks popping in the peanut gallery...just kidding.
Image by theqspeaks via FlickrChief McMullin mentioned parking would be restricted to one side of the street in the vicinity of the SWAT event on Sunday.
12 comments:
Want to party? Come to Weatherby Lake the public is invited.
The public has ALWAYS been invited to Weatherby Lake. Over the last 30 or so years there have been no instances of alchohol abuse in the parks that I am aware of. What is your problem???
There has been abuse and the police department has looked the other way.
Some years back, a drunken driver brutally mowed down a father and his two children riding their bikes on rural Amity immediately off of Barry Road. They died at the scene.
The mother has lived a nightmare ever since.
The ordinance’s purpose was to protect the majority because a minority abused the privilege. It only takes one.
I hope the council members or the police department never experience loss of family members or friends because of a drunken driver.
Appears the position is one cannot have fun at a public gathering without alcohol.
Why stop there?
Ban on aerial fireworks should be lifted . . . speed limit through Weatherby, especially Eastside Drive should be increased to 40 . . . allow open fires again so we can burn our leaves instead of bagging them . . .
Well it has started. A young woman last night in the park was carrying her bottle and glass of wine, couldn't walk very straight.
Thank goodness she was walking. We think she was testing.
I pray our city council look into their hearts and reconsider.
I believe the impact of revoking this ordinance will have absolutely no affect of change from what we have had in the past. It has always been "illegal" for anyone to drink in our parks, it is just that the police did not enforce that law. Hence, we had drinking at Christhaven for the last 2 years for Music in the Park, we had drinking in the park for the last SWAT fundraiser and we had drinking in the park and streets for the last Dam Party celebration. Nothing has changed other than we have removed an ordinance that was not enforced anyway.
The action the board unanimously revoked regarding alcohol does NOT impact all of the other laws regarding DUI, drunk and disorderly conduct, etc. The police can still ticket or arrest for these infractions and they said they will. Revoking this law does not mean all of a sudden everyone is going to turn into an alcoholic! It just means the ordinance that was not enforced anyway is now gone.
Are you serious?
Police have the final say in what laws will or will not be enforce? Who’s running this city?
At least two studies show that the public is generally in favor of alcohol restriction on public property, including a national survey showing over 85% of respondents being in favor of such restrictions.
Wagenaar AC, Harwood EM, Toomey TL, Denk CE, Zander KM. Public opinion on alcohol policies in the United States: Results from a national survey. Journal of Public Health Policy, 21(3):303-27, 2000.
If this were put to a vote do you seriously think our community would support repealing this ordinance?
CHILDREN, SWING SETS, AND ALCOHOL DON'T MIX.
What message is the city council and our police department sending?
Alcohol restrictions on public property is nothing more than a regulatory burden for our police department?
This is like the fireworks display - who gives a d**m about the community. Police/Tanya Finn didn't want to set up for the following night.
It’s not a matter of WL Police lack of enforcement. We have a police force using common sense and alternatives instead of on-the-spot ticketing and/or arresting.
Several years back we had a child in clear violation. Police officer explained to our child the infraction. Our child had no idea they were doing something wrong. What the police officer didn’t know is our child had undergone a recent trauma. His kindness meant more to our family than he will ever know.
I believe our police chief makes every attempt to maintain law and order with wisdom and good judgment.
For the record, I am against alcohol in our public parks. The issue to consider is not with Weatherby Lake residents. Since they are public parks, that means anyone outside of Weatherby Lake can set up, with alcohol, right next to a children’s playground. It is not understood why a no fee permit for special events was shot down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGSN7JVg1yQ
This guy filmed right here Whats wrong with a little PBR
God Bless Muricah
And if ya dont like this country move to Alasker
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