Title
Agenda Item:
Voluntary Alcohol Impact Area Project Status Report
Body
Issue:
After completing the mandatory 6-month voluntary Alcohol Impact Area period, Council now must review the results of the data collected and determine whether or not to petition to the Washington State Liquor Control Board for a mandatory Alcohol Impact Area in Downtown Olympia.
Committee Recommendation:
Land Use and Environment Committee recommends petitioning the Washington State Liquor Control Board to adopt a Resolution recognizing the mandatory Alcohol Impact Area in Downtown Olympia.
City Manager's Recommendation:
Move to recommend petitioning the Washington State Liquor Control Board to adopt a resolution recognizing the mandatory Alcohol Impact Area in Downtown Olympia.
Staff Contact:
Brian Wilson, Code Enforcement Officer, Community Planning & Development, 360.570.3798
Presenter(s):
Brian Wilson, Code Enforcement Officer, Community Planning & Development
Background and Analysis:
An Alcohol Impact Area (AIA) prohibits the sale of banned alcoholic beverages. Banned beverages include high-alcohol content, single serve, cheap malt liquor or fortified wine. The AIA would impact off-premises retail locations within the defined boundaries (See attachment 1). The AIA does NOT affect restaurants or bars.
After observing the success of Alcohol Impact Areas in other nearby cities, Olympia City Council took steps to implement an AIA in Downtown Olympia.
On March 13, 2012, Council approved on second reading the Alcohol Impact Area Ordinance (Attachment 1) establishing a 6-month voluntary compliance period.
After the approval of the ordinance, staff became aware that several items on the prohibited list were no longer available and others were either renamed by breweries or rebranded. Some brands were removed from the list due to the price point being above the threshold of what is considered to be cheap, single-serve beverages.
On April 10, 2012, Council approved an amendment to update the banned beverage list (Exhibit B in Attachment 1). This amendment to the list reset the 6-month voluntary start date to May 1, 2012. The 6-month minimum voluntary period ended November 1, 2012.
A multitude of data collection occurred during the voluntary compliance period including: Store inventory audits, Has Been Drinking (HBD) Police contacts, Medical call volume, and an alleyway beer can survey. Results from the data collection efforts can be found in Attachment 2.
If Council votes to move forward with making the AIA mandatory, they must petition to the Washington State Liquor Control Board to request the Board adopt a resolution creating a state recognized mandatory Alcohol Impact Area. WSLCB's process takes about 2-3 months.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Banning cheap, high alcohol content, single-serve beverages is a key step toward creating a safe and welcoming environment for all users of downtown Olympia.
Options:
Option 1 - Petition to WSLCB for state recognized mandatory Alcohol Impact Area in Downtown Olympia.
Option 2 - Do not petition for mandatory AIA in Downtown Olympia.
Financial Impact:
N/A