02-09-26-R - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — JANUARY 12, 2026 6 D. City Code Related to Alcohol in City Park Discussion Assistant to the City Administrator/City Clerk Hanson said alcohol consumption in the park is not currently prohibited. She shared the language in the current ordinance. This topic has been discussed by the 75th Anniversary Committee for the event this summer. Council would have to amend the ordinance, if we want to allow alcohol for that event. Council can leave it as it is, allow it in one park, allow it in all parks or just certain ones. We can see how it goes and it can be amended back. Councilmember Monson said she wants to have alcohol sales for the 75th Anniversary. She envisions a beer truck. She doesn't think we need to allow alcohol at every single park. She wondered if we can stay the ordinance for one night. Assistant to the City Administrator/City Clerk Hanson said the City Attorney said we cannot stay the ordinance. We would need to amend the ordinance to allow it. Councilmember Monson asked if we could amend it to allow it in one certain situation. Assistant to the City Administrator/City Clerk Hanson said we can limit it to just Cummings Park, but it needs to be for everyone. Councilmember Monson said she is in favor of that, unless there is a strong appetite from Council to discuss allowing it 100% of the time. Councilmember Weber said he is not in favor of allowing it all the time. He wondered if it can be allowed by permit. If someone is having a party, he would be okay with exploring allowing it by permit. Assistant to the City Administrator/City Clerk Hanson said for the anniversary event we would do a temporary liquor license that the Council would approve. We could possibly get a sponsor. A Special Use Permit could be implemented to allow it for the general public. Councilmember Weber said that would tie in with a rental. Staff confirmed. Councilmember Holden would like to see us implement it at Cummings Park. She would like to see it implemented after July 4th. There is a lot of drinking in the parks already. She would like to limit it for the shortest time possible. She doesn't think it's inappropriate for us to do that. Mayor Grant agrees we should allow it for the 75th, at just one park. It can be allowed for a period of time and then revert back later. Councilmember Weber isn't sure how he feels about shoehorning this to fit just a single City event. If we're going to do this, it says something about the City's willingness to allow alcohol in the parks. He doesn't think it should be sundowned immediately. It can be reevaluated later. He isn't completely comfortable with a selective policy for a City event. He thinks if we are going to allow it for an event, we need to allow it in all parks, along with a registered event, with a permit.