Mayor Rob Marlowe
Not quite two years ago, I wrote about my concerns with the gutting of limitations on the number of alcohol fueled events in Sims Park. If you don’t recall it, you can read it here.
You probably haven’t heard about it, because the July 5th city council agenda isn’t posted on the city’s website, but one of the items is consideration of an alcoholic beverage special event permit to allow a local civic club to sell beer and wine at ALL of the remaining city events in the “Summer Sunset Concert Series”. The next of these events is July 9th.
In my opinion, this proposal creates a new and very dangerous expansion of booze sales in the park. NEVER BEFORE has a city event featured alcohol sales. What is being proposed is to allow a group to profit from the sale of alcoholic beverages at an event completely paid for with taxpayer dollars.
This weekend’s Main Street Blast also features alcohol sales. A key difference is that the event organizer for Main Street Blast, New Port Richey Main Street, Inc. is footing the bill for the event, including the music and other entertainment.
If a civic group wants to do a “Wine and Cheese” event like the Trinity Rotary did a couple of months back, I’m all for it and I’ll even buy a ticket to attend.
There are plenty of local watering holes downtown where those thirsting for a beer can drop in for a drink. There is absolutely no reason for the city to go into direct competition with them by offering alcoholic beverages at city events in the park. I’ve heard complaints from bar and restaurant owners about alcohol sales in the park, as recently as last weekend.
On the other hand, I suppose we could approach Great Bay Distributors to see if they can arrange to replace the water in the splash pad with Budweiser.
Enough is enough. The permit request on Tuesday’s agenda smells of stale beer. It is a horribly bad idea and it is being considered without anything approaching proper public notice and discussion for something this significant. I’m going to vote against it and I will encourage my colleagues to do the same.
I’ll remind any of my council colleagues who may see this that Florida’s Sunshine law provides that they should NOT respond or otherwise discuss this issue with me prior to Tuesday night’s meeting.
Rob Marlowe, Mayor
Just a thought. What if on a rotating basis you allowed the local watering holes (First Down, Fitzgeralds, etc.) to run the beer sales and give a percentage to a charity?
Not a bad idea, but I suspect Florida’s alcohol licensing rules would be a problem. As I understand it, the local watering holes have some serious restrictions on what they can sell where and whether or not someone can walk out the door with a drink in their hand.
I don’t have an issue with some of the special events having beer trucks (eg. Chasco for the country music concert, or this weekend’s Main Street Blast). I just don’t believe the events being run by the city need to feature alcoholic beverages. To date, the city’s events have been the dry counterpoint to all of the non-city events that have had beer and wine.
Because of the Sunshine Law, how can you even bring this up publicly?
I can bring anything up I like in any forum I like. Where it becomes a problem is if there is a discussion between council members outside of a public meeting.
My caution at the end of the note was to remind any of my colleagues who might read my note that they are not allowed to comment on my position until we are in a public meeting, eg. Tuesday night’s city council meeting.
Please do not allow alcohol to be sold at City sponsored events in the park. There is access to alcohol for those who just have to have it.
Many families would prefer a “dry park”
Totally agree, Rob. I like my beer (and wine and whiskey for that matter) but I can certainly enjoy a concert in the park without it. The previous concert featuring Sean Brown Band was excellent and I am looking forward to the next. I also believe that the downtown bars and restaurants are struggling enough this summer with the snowbirds gone. The city shouldn’t make their existence downtown more difficult.
Apparently including a brand new restaurant right across the street from the Dulcet.
I agree with the Mayor on this issue. It’s a precedent we should not set.
So Local Pasco
I one hundred percent agree. This town has a weird relationship with alcohol and alcohol sales. I’m not sure why it has to be omnipresent. Many, many, many residents I have spoken with, including the 600 I spoke with as part of my city council campaign, actively avoid city events that serve alcohol.
It is likely that event organizers are actually driving patrons away from downtown businesses and making only a marginal profit from the actual sales at these events.
Any event that serves alcohol should be restricted to Railroad Square. Those who feel differently (including organizers and city council members) do not have New Port Richey’s best interests in mind, but rather their own.
Mr. Mayor, I applaud your outspoken opposition, but I think you should have been this firm a couple of years ago when this came up. It’s a beast that keeps rearing its head.
Thanks Jon. I’ve heard from the same people who actively avoid the park when alcohol is being served.
We don’t seem to have any problem filling the park for booze free family movies. We didn’t have any problem attracting a crowd to the first jazz night. I just don’t see any reason to screw things up by adding alcohol to city events.
For many years I have been opposed to selling alcohol in Sims Park. It is not necessary nor needed and if people want a drink the downtown pubs and restaurants are happy to comply.
Also, it’s enough that council allows beer kiosks on city streets during festivals. To elaborate on current restrictions allowing a for-profit businesses to sell under the guise of helping nonprofits is adding unnecessary complications to the matter and opening the door to potential abuse.
As a resident that lives close to Sims park, I attended the last meetings and asked that our council vote no. The only one that agreed and voted no back then was
Mayor Consalvo. We have enough bars in the city, give them the business. As a tax payer why are we paying for this?
I don’t know why city taxpayers are being asked to pay for this. That would be an excellent question to ask my colleagues.
Over my objections, the council voted 3-2 last night to approve beer sales at the three remaining city Jazz concerts. That will give us alcoholic beverage sales on four weekends in a six week period.
I believe it was a bad decision, approving a bad policy, and setting a bad precedent.
A special meeting has been called for 9am Friday so that the city council can vote on this again after Councilwoman Debella-Thomas recuses herself.
The motion to approve the alcohol permit failed on a 2-2 tie vote with Councilwoman Debella-Thomas recusing herself on advice of counsel because of a conflict of interest.
Pathetic, not one comment regarding Liberty. It is always about control. “I don’t think this, I don’t think that”. By the way, I don’t consume alcohol. Liberty allows for freedom of choice, and tax payers money is used for many things that many disagree with, in many affairs. I don’t have kids to enjoy a 4 million dollar park, I don’t consume ahcohol, but the principle of Liberty should overrule dogma and bias always. Reminds me of the days of prohibition. Same as it ever was with politics and power. The interests of the few overrule basic rights that are enjoyed in most other progressive cities. Sign sign everywhere a sign. Don’t do this don’t do that, blowing my mind. Oh well, glad not to be involved in a backwards political scheme. Change is coming, world wide. Folks have had enough of politians. Rob Marlowe would buy a ticket to a wine and cheese event in the park, yikes, a bit of cognitive dissonance sir? Last time I heard wine had alcohol. Same as it ever was. Disappointing as always. Did I mention that I don’t even drink? Also 4 million bucks of tax payers money and you have to pay to hang out under a shelter and bbq? Yikes
It has nothing to do with liberty or control and everything to do with how do we spend taxpayer dollars.
There is a possibly subtle, but important difference between a non-profit group hosting an event in the park and selling beer and wine to help cover their costs and the city soliciting a non-profit group to take advantage of an event 100% paid for with tax dollars to sell beer and wine as a fund raiser for the group.
Regarding your other issue, we went from a couple of covered picnic areas that occasional got used to five that are in continuous demand. In hindsight, we should have considered building more shelters. There is always the second phase of park improvements to come.