2022-07 Ordinance Amending City Code Chapter 52 - Alcoholic Liquor

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City Manager DATE: 3/3/2022 MEMO: TO: Mayor Moore Wolfe and City Council Members FROM: Scot Wrighton,City Manager SUBJECT: Amendment of the Liquor Code to require that sales of alcoholic beverages through exterior business windows end at 10:00 pm, beginning July 1,2022. July 1 st is when the new permit year for liquor licenses commences. BACKGROUND: The causes of violent crime are multi-faceted and have many different causes. Consequently,the City Council has provided additional funding for specialized police equipment,allocated funds for youth intervention,embarked on long-term reinvestment in distressed neighborhoods,job retraining/workforce development,and more. The council's intention is that these and other strategies will,over time,reduce the incidence of violent crime.Another strategy to add to the mix is limiting last-minute and impulse sales of alcoholic beverages. By itself,ending drive-up or walk-up window sales of alcoholic beverages will not result in a huge reduction in alcohol-related crime. But by constraining last-minute and impulse purchases,or the later transfer of alcohol to minors,early closure of drive-up and window sales could aid the Police Department in dealing with alcohol-related crime--especially late at night. POTENTIAL OBJECTIONS: Establishments with drive-up and walk-up window sales of alcohol have not been polled,but they could object. INPUT FROM OTHER SOURCES: The city does not have data on how many existing liquor license holders have drive-up or walk-up window sales. The annual liquor license application will be amended to request this information from all license holders. Failure to comply with the ordinance after July 1,if adopted,would be a matter for the Liquor Commissioner to enforce. ATTACHMENTS: Description Type Memo-Ordinance Amending City Code Chapter 52 Cover Memo Ordinance Amending City Code Chapter 52-Alcoholic Ordinance Liquor