Liquor options
The Downtown Development Board has the right idea in proposing to expand the city's one-day liquor licenses.
The plan would make eligible five areas in which organizations can purchase a one-day liquor license as part of an event. It would also reduce mandatory wait periods to 60 days, among other alterations.
This is a sound proposal. By rendering downtown more accessible to organizations, the city could draw a more extensive array of outdoor events.
Likewise, the reduced wait period is much more accessible to groups that intend to plan summer events.
However, city commissioners should approach with caution. The goal is right, but the city should ensure the revision will not result in unintentional consequences. Public safety concerns loom large.
Three of the four new options, all in the downtown area, would require the closure of some part of a public street.
The amendments include provisions requiring organizations to compensate the city for additional personnel costs.
For the initial periods of development, city officials should err on the side of caution while reviewing event applications.
This would help allay concerns about public safety by ensuring that the situation is kept thoroughly under control.
The problem with expanding event locales is, in part, that the locations are untested; it's uncertain whether the area will be a good fit for major events.
However, the only way to test that is to permit events and gauge what happens.
If city officials do this - and organizations foot the bill - then it is reasonable to think expanding organizations' options will not do great harm.
Further, given the nature of the events, it's unlikely that they will, say, tend toward riots or anything severely devastating.
Whatever risks arise can be contained through the careful supervision of additional personnel. And if events go smoothly, the additional personnel can be scaled back.
The shift from one eligible location to five is a fairly drastic, but the size of the change, by itself, is no reason for city commissioners to work against it.
The size is reason for caution but not for defeat.
In the current economic climate, whatever the city can do to promote a vibrant downtown - and snag some extra revenue - should be supported.
Amending current one-day liquor license policies is one way to do so.
