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04/04/2017 03:30 PMCan organizations serve alcohol during events held on the Green? For many years, the answer was “No.” Now, the answer is “Maybe”—but there’s now also a policy in place to guide the decision.
After questions were raised at a Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting over the practice of allowing the serving of alcohol on the Town Green for certain events, the BOS adopted a policy drafted by the police at its April 3 meeting. The new policy aims to regulate the location and manner in which alcohol can be served at approved events.
Consuming alcohol on town property is prohibited by town ordinance, but for certain events, the BOS has the power to make an exception if a group applies for the ordinance to be waived. Such an exception was made last year for the Craft Expo on the Green (the first time an exception has been made for the Green, according to First Selectman Joe Mazza), but when the Guilford Art Center submitted a request at a prior BOS meeting to have beer and wine sold at the Craft Expo again this year, the BOS asked the police to come up with a policy to regulate the sale and consumption of alcohol on the Green.
Police Chief Jeff Hutchinson presented the new policy at the April 3 meeting. The policy, which applies to any event on the Green that has received approval from the BOS to waive the ordinance, outlines the area in which alcohol can be served and who can serve.
According to the policy, alcohol can only be served in an area cordoned off from the main event with a single point of entry and exit to prohibit individuals from taking alcohol into the main event space. Individuals serving alcohol have to be Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS) trained, a type of certification and training acquired by bartenders and other servers that teaches individuals how to spot a fake ID and how to know when an individual has had too much to drink.
Hutchinson said it would be up to the vendors serving alcohol to check IDs and said the policy as proposed lines up with state policy.
“The majority if not all of this has been presented after close consultation with the State of Connecticut Department of Liquor Control,” he said.
The one part of the policy that drew some concern from members of the BOS is the condition that all individuals who enter the designated alcohol area must be 21 years of age or older. First Selectman Joe Mazza asked it that meant a parent could not enter the area with a small child.
“The caution I would give is someone walking in with their five-year old holding their hand is a very obvious situation where someone under 21 is not likely to consume,” said Hutchinson. “When we are getting into the 19- and 20-year olds, it becomes more of a challenge for people serving and checking IDs.”
Ultimately the BOS voted unanimously to adopt the policy as written.
“From a historic perspective, this policy would protect the BOS and the town...,” said Selectman Carl Balestracci, adding that there have been alcohol-related issues with events on the Green many years ago, although not with the Guilford Art Center.
Despite approving the policy, the Guilford Art Center application to waive the town alcohol ordinance for the Craft Expo this summer is still pending. Last year the center was approved to serve alcohol at the event through the Marketplace and no incidents were reported, according to the police. However, at the BOS meeting a member of the Guilford Green Committee spoke up about the committee not being consulted on the Guilford Art Center’s request.
While the Guilford Green Committee does not have the authority to approve or deny the request, the BOS elected to postpone making a decision on the Guilford Art Center’s application until the Guilford Green Committee could review it and make a recommendation to the BOS.
The Guilford Art Center’s application will be taken up again at a future BOS meeting.