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City of Lawrence, Kansas |
Memo
To: Mike Wildgen, City Manager; Debbie Van Saun, Assistant City Manager; Dave Corliss, Assistant City Manager
From: Brad Hoff, Management Assistant
Date: 2/17/2004
Re: City of Madison, Wisconsin Work Group on Downtown Alcohol Issues
In my presentation at the January 20, 2004 City Commission meeting regarding downtown drinking establishments, I stated that the City of Madison, Wisconsin had developed a Work Group that examined issues of over-saturation and enforcement of existing ordinances related to drinking establishments in their downtown/Isthmus area. Since this meeting, I have acquired a copy of the final report submitted to the Mayor and Common Council. Thus, the following memo includes background information on the Work Group on Downtown Alcohol Issues established in Madison, along with a list of recommendations included in their final report addressing the issues mentioned above. Moreover, additional recommendations are included in this memo, which were made by the Alcohol License Review Committee (ALRC) upon the completion of the final report.
In May 1999, Mayor Susan J.M. Bauman established a Work Group on Downtown Alcohol Issues. This Work Group was created out of concerns by the governing body about the increased demands that were being placed on police and fire resources. These demands were directly related to more licenses being issued in the State Street/University area (located downtown), along with lapses in adhering to ordinances and regulations that were already in place. The Work Group consisted of a group of 14 individuals who represented a range of interests. These included law enforcement officials, business leaders, elected officials, and representatives from the restaurant industry and University of Wisconsin. The Work Group’s mission was to make recommendations to the Mayor, Common Council, and Alcohol License Review Committee that would help ensure that downtown residents, visitors, customers, and business owners live, thrive, and enjoy a high quality life in the downtown environment both now and in the future.
When initiating this project, the Work Group selected a four-step process to reach its objective. The steps included 1) Defining the mission of the group; 2) Describing the current situation; 3) Providing cause analysis for issue areas; and 4) Developing solutions based on the cause analysis. Throughout the process, the Work Group received presentations and comments from various stakeholders. These stakeholders included the Madison Police Department, Madison Fire Department, City Attorney’s Office, City Clerk’s Office, bar license holders/managers, University of Wisconsin administration, and Alcohol License Review Committee members. In addition, a survey was sent to all bar license holders in the target area.
Upon the conclusion of testimony and working on the four-step process, the Work Group made recommendations on how best to address the issues of over-saturation of bars in the downtown/Isthmus area, and the enforcement of existing ordinances. Please refer to Attachment A for a list of these recommendations.
Finally, a subcommittee of the Alcohol License Review Committee (ALRC) was formed and commented on the recommendations given by the Work Group on Downtown Alcohol Issues. Please refer to Attachment B for a list of these recommendations.
As of this date, representatives from the City Clerk’s office were in the process of finding the status of the recommendations that were made by both the Work Group on Downtown Alcohol Issues and Alcohol License Review Committee.
Please let me know if any additional information is needed.
Attachment A: Recommendations of Work Group on Downtown Alcohol Issues to the Mayor and Common Council
Attachment B: Recommendations of the Alcohol License Review Committee (ALRC) to the Mayor and Common Council
Attachment A: Recommendations of Work Group on Downtown Alcohol Issues to the Mayor and Common Council
Over-Saturation
· The City should develop a plan to address over-saturation in the area. That plan should factor in available city resources targeted to the downtown, especially police and fire.
· The Mayor and Common Council should determine limits on the number of bar licenses issued in the State Street/University corridor based on reasonable and rational criteria. Zoning ordinances should be reviewed and studied as a possible means of addressing over-saturation.
· The City continue to seek conditional early or staggered closing times when renewing or recommending new licenses in areas deemed over-saturated or near saturation.
· The City should develop criteria or a formula to be used to monitor other areas of the city where over-saturation could occur. The criteria or formula should define a “healthy mix” or balance of business, bars, restaurants, and housing necessary to maintain a good quality of life for all.
Enforcement of Existing Ordinances
· The City should review the definition/criteria of a restaurant/bar to ensure that current definitions/criteria meet today’s needs and challenges.
· The City should provide the necessary resources to enforce the alcohol licensing rules/ordinances. The City should expand the use of tools such as the audit to ensure compliance.
· There was consensus by the Work Group that the City should seek closer working relationships with the Dane County-Madison Area Tavern League, the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, and the University of Wisconsin to address alcohol related issues in the downtown/Isthmus area. The City of Madison Police and the University of Wisconsin Police should develop a structure for ongoing communication and coordination of their work in the downtown area. We believe this mechanism will allow more efficient use and deployment of the combined resource base.
· The Madison Police Department should work with the University of Wisconsin to establish a “last drink” study, which would be a poll of people arrested who have been over-served or drunk. This information could be used as part of the review for renewal of liquor licenses.
Attachment B: Recommendations of the Alcohol License Review Committee (ALRC) to the Mayor and Common Council
Over-saturation
· ALRC will carefully monitor areas of dense saturation of licensed establishments and will actively review police calls, and solicit input from Madison Police Department (and other City departments as may be necessary) regarding activities in this area. ALRC will work to mediate and abate health and safety concerns that are related to the consumption of alcohol.
· Such mediation and abatement shall include a plan of progressive discipline, including actively pursuing non-renewal of licenses or other disciplinary action against such licensed establishments which may be found to be acting counter to the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Madison.
· ALRC will carefully scrutinize new licenses or transfer of licenses in this area (as well as throughout the city), and will solicit specific written input from the district Alderperson and Madison Police Department regarding such licenses.
Enforcement of Existing Ordinances
· ALRC recommends that the Common Council adjust the current Fiscal Year budget to provide overtime funding to permit inspection visits by members of the Fire Marshall’s office or other City Agencies to the premises of licensed establishments at their busiest hours on a frequent and regular basis. Funding for such inspections should also be provided in the City of Madison budget in future years.
· ALRC recommends that administrative procedures be established to encourage interdepartmental meetings and discussions about operations and oversight of enforcement of regulations for licensed establishments.
· ALRC recommends that the City should perform more audits of licensed establishments to determine compliance with ordinances governing establishments licensed as restaurants to serve alcohol.
· ALRC recommends that the City create a central point where information may be assembled in a complete and timely manner of all violations and citations issued to licensed establishments.
· ALRC recommends that:
a) The City Attorney’s office prepare a simple document outlining the differences between a “restaurant” and “tavern.”
b) The City Attorney’s office prepare a simple document outlining the authority of the Madison Police and Fire Departments to issue citations or take other action within licensed establishments to insure the health, safety and welfare of its patrons. This document shall also be distributed to license applicants and license holders at the time a license is applied for or renewed.