Warsaw Park Board tabled a decision during Tuesday night's meeting regarding alcohol usage at Center Lake Pavilion.
Approximately 10 people attended the meeting to discuss their opinions regarding allowing or prohibiting alcohol inside the pavilion.The pavilion hosts wedding receptions and birthday parties among other events where alcohol currently is allowed inside the pavilion.
The board at its April 15 meeting approved a motion to pursue filing a lawsuit against a group responsible for damages to Center Lake Pavilion.
Damages were done to the pavilion's interior during a birthday party in March.
The current lease agreement states a person signing on or behalf of the lease agrees to be personally liable for all damages in excess of those covered by the $225 damage deposit fee.
Park Superintendent Jon Garber said City Attorney Mike Valentine sent a letter dated April 22 to the group responsible for the pavilion damages.
Valentine was absent during Tuesday's meeting so the board tabled approving an alcohol policy.
The letter stated the group had until May 9 to pay $667.50 in damages or a lawsuit would need to be filed against the group.
Garber said the group came into the park office May 7 and paid the amount for damages to cover a destroyed fire extinguisher sign, replacement of a laundry tub, replacement of mops ruined to clean the pavilion floor and labor costs for six employees to clean the pavilion.
"We did not have to pursue legal action because the damages were paid by the group," Garber said.
The board also at the April meeting approved seeking input from the public regarding alcohol usage at the pavilion.
Park board members discussed the possibility of considering adding in the lease agreement a clause about alcohol usage at events at the pavilion, possibly banning alcohol at events at the pavilion.
They also discussed an off-duty officer patrol the pavilion when alcohol is involved during events at the pavilion that could be paid for by groups who rent the pavilion.
Garber said the parks department received four responses from the community regarding alcohol usage by phone or in person since the April meeting.
He said one of the responses was not allowing alcohol at the pavilion and the other three responses felt alcohol should continued to be allowed at the pavilion.
During Monday's meeting Warsaw residents had the opportunity to voice their opinions regarding alcohol use at the pavilion.
Warsaw resident Phil Neff said he is opposed to continuing to allow alcohol at the pavilion and said renters should know who is in charge at the pavilion.
"I am more concerned with the liability issue at the pavilion when alcohol is involved, money for damages can be replaced, but a person's life is another situation," Neff said.
Jo Paczkowski, a former manager of Knights of Columbus for 10 years, said the organization had problems with damages when she was manager.
"We had to raise the rental deposit fee and limit the type of activities we allowed at the Knights of Columbus," Paczkowski said.
She said she supports having an off-duty officer patrolling the pavilion during events.
Bruce Woodward, realtor for Woodward Realty, said there are a certain amount of risks when leasing or renting a property, but said he thinks alcohol should not be prohibited at the pavilion.
"This is the people's pavilion and there are events held here that build the community and if the board bans alcohol at the pavilion that will be a loss in revenue for the parks department where people will have to go elsewhere for their events," Woodward said.
Andy Wright and his fiance Deb Wulliman said they are having their wedding reception at the pavilion in August and chose the pavilion because alcohol is allowed.
"We chose the pavilion because alcohol is allowed and we don't think it is fair to punish people like us who are responsible because other people aren't," Wulliman said.
Park Board President Bill Baldwin said he will meet with Garber and Valentine to discuss possibilities of requiring renters to pay for an off-duty officer when alcohol is involved at the pavilion, liability insurance and the possibility of requiring a licensed bartender to be at the pavilion when alcohol is involved.
Park Board city council representative Kyle Babcock said he talked to people who said they would not support prohibiting alcohol at the pavilion, but he said property needs to be protected.
"We have been accommodating to all groups in our city and I was elected by the residents of Warsaw and I must do my job and protect property," Babcock said.
The board will meet June 17 to continue discussion on an alcohol policy at the pavilion.
