City Won't Ban Booze; Offers Other Suggestions
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Councilman Dan Hampton made a motion to support the recommendation from the park board to prohibit alcohol on all park property except within the Pike Lake Campground campsites.[[In-content Ad]]"I'm not one to micromanage in a government system, but if the park board has investigated the issue since April and held public meetings on the issue, I am willing to make a motion to adopt the ordinance," Hampton said.
Councilman Joe Thallemer, Kyle Babcock, Jeff Grose, George Clemens, Charlie Smith and Jerry Patterson failed to make a second on the motion and said they did not support banning alcohol on park property so it did not carry.
"I know the city council was asked to put a ban on alcohol, but it appears the city council does not have that desire, instead we have suggestions for park board review," Thallemer said.
"I've talked to park board members about the issue and I respect their concerns and felt their frustrations. I think as a council we are trying to save something that has been nice for the community and hopefully work around some problems so we can continue to make it a good opportunity for all citizens," Thallemer said.
Warsaw Park Board, at its Sept. 16 meeting, unanimously approved recommending to the council that alcohol be banned at all park property except campgrounds effective Jan. 1.
The proposed ban results from a series of incidents where the Center Lake Pavilion was damaged during events where alcohol was present.
The park board had been discussing the issue since April and held a public meeting and came up with a recommendation to the council to ban alcohol.
The council came up with a list of 15 suggestions that they would like the Warsaw Park Board to review.
Thallemer read the suggestions that only applied to those renters where alcohol would be involved. Each councilman was asked to raise their hand in support or opposition to the suggestions. The results of how the council voted are in parenthesis with yes as the first number and no as the second number.
The suggestions included having a security guard at functions on park property where alcohol is present, (4-2); having a park department employee on site when alcohol is present at park facilities (5-0); increasing the security deposit to $1,000 (2) or $1,500 (4), requiring a criminal background check for renters when alcohol is present (0-4), requiring Board of Public Works approval for rentals where alcohol was involved (4-2) and requiring renters to have a licenses liquor liability insurance policy (0-5).
Other recommendations were to require a renter to be a Warsaw resident to rent park facilities (4-2), defining specific hours for park facilities (4 to 11:30 p.m.) (0-0), requiring a guest list in advance when alcohol is present (0-5), requiring music restrictions on alcohol events (6-0), requiring a legal instrument such as a hold harmless clause (5-1), prohibiting fog or smoke for all alcohol events (4-2), having a different park facility rental rate for residents versus non residents (6-0), requiring Warsaw Fire Department to check occupancy when alcohol is involved (5-1) and requiring a licensed bartender for alcohol events (2-4).
Park Superintendent Jon Garber said he will make the board aware of the recommendations.
Garber said as of Sept. 5, there are signed leases for 2009 that include four non-alcohol leases, two alcohol leases and one lease where alcohol is not known.
For leases that are not signed and waiting to sign for 2009, three want alcohol, four do not want alcohol and nine do not know if they will have alcohol.
The park board will discuss the recommendations at its Nov. 18 meeting at 5:15 p.m. at Nye Youth Cabin.
In other business, Jeffrey "Hoss" Smith, Serenity House residential manager, asked the council to review an ordinance that was adopted in January 2008 to see if the house falls under a residential facility for individuals with a mental illness.
Mayor Ernie Wiggins asked if the council had heard of street light requests, and said residents who have concerns should contact the mayor's office.
Councilman Dan Hampton made a motion to support the recommendation from the park board to prohibit alcohol on all park property except within the Pike Lake Campground campsites.[[In-content Ad]]"I'm not one to micromanage in a government system, but if the park board has investigated the issue since April and held public meetings on the issue, I am willing to make a motion to adopt the ordinance," Hampton said.
Councilman Joe Thallemer, Kyle Babcock, Jeff Grose, George Clemens, Charlie Smith and Jerry Patterson failed to make a second on the motion and said they did not support banning alcohol on park property so it did not carry.
"I know the city council was asked to put a ban on alcohol, but it appears the city council does not have that desire, instead we have suggestions for park board review," Thallemer said.
"I've talked to park board members about the issue and I respect their concerns and felt their frustrations. I think as a council we are trying to save something that has been nice for the community and hopefully work around some problems so we can continue to make it a good opportunity for all citizens," Thallemer said.
Warsaw Park Board, at its Sept. 16 meeting, unanimously approved recommending to the council that alcohol be banned at all park property except campgrounds effective Jan. 1.
The proposed ban results from a series of incidents where the Center Lake Pavilion was damaged during events where alcohol was present.
The park board had been discussing the issue since April and held a public meeting and came up with a recommendation to the council to ban alcohol.
The council came up with a list of 15 suggestions that they would like the Warsaw Park Board to review.
Thallemer read the suggestions that only applied to those renters where alcohol would be involved. Each councilman was asked to raise their hand in support or opposition to the suggestions. The results of how the council voted are in parenthesis with yes as the first number and no as the second number.
The suggestions included having a security guard at functions on park property where alcohol is present, (4-2); having a park department employee on site when alcohol is present at park facilities (5-0); increasing the security deposit to $1,000 (2) or $1,500 (4), requiring a criminal background check for renters when alcohol is present (0-4), requiring Board of Public Works approval for rentals where alcohol was involved (4-2) and requiring renters to have a licenses liquor liability insurance policy (0-5).
Other recommendations were to require a renter to be a Warsaw resident to rent park facilities (4-2), defining specific hours for park facilities (4 to 11:30 p.m.) (0-0), requiring a guest list in advance when alcohol is present (0-5), requiring music restrictions on alcohol events (6-0), requiring a legal instrument such as a hold harmless clause (5-1), prohibiting fog or smoke for all alcohol events (4-2), having a different park facility rental rate for residents versus non residents (6-0), requiring Warsaw Fire Department to check occupancy when alcohol is involved (5-1) and requiring a licensed bartender for alcohol events (2-4).
Park Superintendent Jon Garber said he will make the board aware of the recommendations.
Garber said as of Sept. 5, there are signed leases for 2009 that include four non-alcohol leases, two alcohol leases and one lease where alcohol is not known.
For leases that are not signed and waiting to sign for 2009, three want alcohol, four do not want alcohol and nine do not know if they will have alcohol.
The park board will discuss the recommendations at its Nov. 18 meeting at 5:15 p.m. at Nye Youth Cabin.
In other business, Jeffrey "Hoss" Smith, Serenity House residential manager, asked the council to review an ordinance that was adopted in January 2008 to see if the house falls under a residential facility for individuals with a mental illness.
Mayor Ernie Wiggins asked if the council had heard of street light requests, and said residents who have concerns should contact the mayor's office.
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