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Wine Sales Allowed at Art Festival

Posted on: Thursday, 4 May 2006, 12:03 CDT

By Annie Nelson, Columbia Daily Tribune, Mo.

May 2--Bottoms up.

Wine lovers emerged victorious from the city council meeting last night after a motion passed to allow restricted alcohol sales at this year's Art in the Park festival at Stephens Lake Park.

Parks and Recreation Director Mike Hood had recommended against the idea because of the precedent it could set and the difficulty in complying with state liquor control laws.

The request came from Columbia Art League, which hosts the annual event scheduled this year for June 3-4. Les Bourgeois Winery, a sponsor of the event, wants to sell bottles of wine and give away samples.

Vendors are held responsible for compliance with state liquor regulations, Hood said, "but on city land, who is responsible?"

Hood said the department has never allowed the sale of alcohol. The groundwork for alcohol sales, however, was laid in 2004 when the council decided to allow not-for-profit groups to apply for a special-use permit that grants them rights to sell goods on park grounds.

There is no city ordinance prohibiting alcohol sales or consumption in public parks, only an ordinance prohibiting being under the influence of alcohol. Hood said the department has always interpreted that to mean "extremely under the influence."

City Attorney Fred Boeckmann pointed out that state law prevents the city from enforcing the public drunkenness ordinance. "If someone who is drunk exhibits other behavior, we can arrest them," he said.

"People will say we're setting a precedent. I disagree with that," Mayor Darwin Hindman said, stressing that permission was granted only to one festival. "I think it is an equitable sort of decision."

After meeting with Hood on Friday afternoon, Columbia Art League Executive Director Jill Stedem said Les Bourgeois could be restricted in its sales.

Les Bourgeois could end the wine sales at 4 p.m., an hour before the close of the festival. Purchasers would be restricted to one bottle per day, and the sales tent would be defined -- a requirement of state liquor regulations -- by cordoning it off with rope.

Columbia Police Chief Randy Boehm said he recommended to Parks and Recreation not to approve the request. "From a law enforcement's perspective, we are very concerned about the precedent, not about this event, but I feel confident saying other events Mike's going to have to deal with could be very challenging."

Hood said his department deals with 200 to 300 special-use events every year. "The question becomes, where do you draw the line?" he said.

The mayor said he realized there is a large, partying student population in Columbia and that the idea might dawn on them that Stephens Lake Park is an even better place to have a party than the East Campus neighborhood. But he said the city can handle that with some "artful administration."

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Source: Columbia Daily Tribune

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