SILOAM SPRINGS -- Whether to allow alcohol at events on city property took up more of Tuesday's Board of Directors meeting than the rest of the agenda items combined.
The proposal was introduced near the end of the meeting during city administrator Phillip Paterson's report. It essentially means city staff will review if civic groups and nonprofit entities will be allowed to serve beer and wine at community gatherings at city parks such as Twin Springs, City Park and Bob Henry Park, or on a city street that's been closed for an event.
"It would have to be open to the public, sponsored by a nonprofit or civic organization," Patterson said. "What that basically means is that a family gathering, a family reunion, a private event would not be permitted to have any alcohol in a city park."
Patterson used Main Street Siloam's "Farm to Table" dinner at Twin Springs Park to illustrate. The event was open to the public and organizers wanted to serve wine or beer with dinner.
"Because it was on city property, in order to consume the alcohol that I guess was provided as part of the ticket, you had to go around to the (Creekside) Taproom and consume that drink and then walk around back to the park to have the dinner," Patterson said. "If this moves forward, what I would do from my standpoint, subject to it being adopted, would be to write some policies within the city structure ... to make sure they're non-commercial, communitywide (and) sponsored by a nonprofit or civic organization.
"It does not include athletic fields, does not include the family aquatic center, does not include the community building or other city parks."
Input from the board was needed to determine if city staff "goes further" with exploring what amendments would need to be added to city code. Director Bob Coleman said he would be opposed based on several concerns such as the potential for "families and small children" to be around people consuming alcohol at one of the parks.
"There would be no way of segregating those," Coleman said "I think we've come a long way from proposed regulations for no smoking in a park area to allowing alcohol. I think we would have a difficult time enforcing and maintaining a family atmosphere at the parks when those types of operations are going on. I would not be for this, at all."
Director Brad Burns, who said he was "the one who brought that up," said he wanted to explain more of "what we're trying to accomplish" to put the city in line with the other "big five" in Northwest Arkansas while also creating another revenue stream from the purchase of permits for the events.
Director Bob Coleman argued if it's only a $200 permit for a handful of events, then it won't be a major "income generator." He also said he served on the board for the now-defunct "Feather Fest," an event that served alcohol in Springdale.
"It was discontinued because of the abuse of alcohol," Coleman said. "Yes, I can go to Rib Crib and consume alcohol, but I don't have to take my kids into the middle of it, either. I think this would be something that is of quite concern to many of our families."
NW News on 11/26/2017