City may ease alcohol ban in parks for nonprofits

SANDPOINT — Nonprofits could have more flexibility than ever when planning fundraising events in public parks if a suggested change in parks policy passes.

At Wednesday’s council meeting, Parks and Recreation Director Kim Woodruff proposed an allowance for organizations to serve alcohol in select public parks. This will allow nonprofit fundraisers or special events to serve beer and wine on the grounds of parks selected for the policy change. Woodruff presented the proposal to see if council members were interested in pursuing it, and they were, instructing staff to create a draft document for further consideration.

If council members approve the proposal, it won’t mean an across-the-board change for city parks. Woodruff pointed out that each park has a different nature and serves different purposes, so placing blanket policies on them isn’t always sensible.

Given that reality, he said alcohol might have no place in a park like City Beach, but Farmin Park, with its new bandstand and downtown location, could likely benefit from well-managed alcohol sales at events like a concert fundraiser.

“Like it or not, the opportunity to have a beer or glass of wine with a dinner, concert, movie or other goings-on is a considerable event draw and profitable concession,” Woodruff said in his proposal.

Established park events that involve alcohol sales like Taste of Sandpoint have worked around the ordinance problem by closing off Oak Street and allowing vendors to set up shop along the road. By allowing alcohol sales on the park grounds themselves, city officials can avoid shutting down an avenue of traffic while giving event attendees a more comfortable spot than a hot city street to have a drink .

Woodruff envisions the change to park policy as a generic agreement that is all-inclusive, allowing any organization to petition the city directly for consideration on a case-by-case basis. By getting the right events in the area, he believes the change could bring more activity to the downtown core and generate funds for both the city and nonprofits.

Council members will return to the proposal once staff return with a draft document drawn up. Woodruff is hoping to have the matter resolved sooner rather than later — if the city works quickly enough, the new system could be ready in time for events like Oktoberfest.