Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Clerk’s Office

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Jonathan Douglass, Assistant to the City Manager/City Clerk
CC:	Tarik Khatib, Chief of Police Mark Bradford, Fire Medical Chief Ernie Shaw, Interim Director of Parks and Recreation
DATE:	August 3, 2011
RE:	Alcohol Hearing for Kansas State Fiddling and Picking Championship and Ballard B3 event

City Code Section 4-113 generally prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages within 400’ of a school or church, unless a public hearing is first held and the City Commission grants a distance limitation waiver.

Two upcoming events in South Park have requested permission to sell alcoholic beverages and will be within 400’ of churches: the Kansas State Fiddling and Picking Championship on Sunday, August 28, 2011, from 11:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m; and the Ballard B3 – Blues, Brews, and Barbecue event on Saturday, September 24, 2011, from 6:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Pursuant to code requirements, staff has notified the churches (St John the Evangelist Catholic Church and Trinity Lutheran Church) that a public hearing regarding these requests will be held on August 9. To date, no comment has been received from the churches.

Because the Kansas State Fiddling and Picking Championship also desires to allow the possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages on Massachusetts Street during the event (for which a temporary use of public right-of-way permit was approved by the City Commission on 7/26/11), an ordinance allowing possession and consumption of alcohol on the right-of-way is required. Adoption of Ordinance No. 8652 would allow possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages on the public right-of-way during the event.

ACTION:      Conduct a public hearing regarding distance limitation waiver requests for the Kansas State Fiddling and Picking Championship to be held in South Park on August 28, 2011, and the Ballard B3 event to be held in South Park on September 24, 2011.

                   Find that the proximity of the temporary sale of alcoholic liquor for the events is not adverse to the public welfare or safety and grant distance limitation waivers.

                   Adopt on first reading, Ordinance No. 8652, allowing the possession and consumption of alcoholic liquor on Massachusetts Street from North Park Street to South Park Street on Sunday, August 28, 2011, from 11:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.