Tuesday, June 25th, 2019
Celina council OKs booze permit plan
Sales to be permitted at parks
By Leslie Gartrell
CELINA - Event organizers now have a clear pathway to get permission to sell alcohol on city property.
City council members on Monday passed after third reading an ordinance allowing the mayor to act on the city's behalf to allow third parties to sell alcohol and have it consumed on city property.
The city already has individual agreements with organizations selling alcohol at special events such as Freedom Days but not an overall policy.
Third parties must obtain an Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Liquor Control, permit. As part of the permit process, the applicant must first secure written permission from the landowner. The ordinance would grant the mayor that authority.
Councilors in May recommended in favor of Grand Lake Mariners board members' carrying out a test run of craft beer sales at about 10 games this summer.
Based on the results, board members said they may pursue expanding sales in future seasons.
Board member Carl Huber had said the organization would seek a festival-like permit to allow for the sale of beer during home games in June and July.
Craft beer would be sold in a 20-foot-by-80-foot structure in a fenced-off area down the first base line. It would be supervised by a police officer in plain clothes, according to a statement by Mariners President Bill Montgomery at May's meeting.
Councilors also passed under suspension of rules an emergency ordinance appropriating $120,000 from the general fund to the city tax refunds and contingency funds.
Council clerk Joan Wurster said the city had to refund more money than projected for the year due to city employers who did not adjust withholdings properly. Members approved appropriating $20,000 to the city tax refunds.
An additional $100,000 was moved to the contingency funds to cover damage cleanup and repairs from the Memorial Day EF3 tornado and unexpected expenses involved with cleanup.
Councilors accepted the donation of the CAPT Baseball Complex at Montgomery Field from the Celina Baseball Association.
The association offered to have the new building built after an EF2 tornado demolished the previous structure in November 2017.
Members also approved an ordinance authorizing safety service director Tom Hitchcock to enter into a new three-year agreement with the local government services section of the state auditor's office.
