February 3, 2010 - 607 words
City's new liquor laws: keg tags, ad limits
MIKE NEUMANN - The Woodstock Independent
Despite opposition from some business owners and members of the public, the Woodstock City Council passed two ordinances at its Jan. 19 meeting that impose further restrictions on liquor license holders in the city.
One ordinance limits beer and tobacco advertising at convenience stores, major retail and grocery stores and gas stations. It requires that stores not use more than 20 percent of their total window and door space facing the public way to display beer and tobacco advertisements.
The other ordinance, part of an effort to track beer keg purchases, requires merchants to place numbered tags on beer kegs that will track the kegs' original buyers.
Ad ordinance percentage comes via compromise
"The advertising limits are intended to reflect the limited nature of alcohol sales permitted at such establishments," said Rich Flood, city attorney, in a document distributed to the council.
"In general, I don't like this law philosophically," said Councilman Mike Turner. He added that the city does regulate signs, however, and that he feels some business owners went overboard with advertisements.
The original ordinance called for a limit of 10 percent advertising for alcohol and tobacco, but some merchants asked for that number to be raised to 30 percent. Councilman RB Thompson said it is difficult for him to determine what percentage is appropriate and what is not.
"Maybe 30 percent is way too low," he said. "I don't know where the numbers are for me."
In total, nine businesses in Woodstock are affected by the new ordinance. Some business owners said the new ordinance would put them at a competitive disadvantage to larger retailers. Mayor Brian Sager said that the advertisements are giving the impression of a liquor store, and that businesses impacted were not licensed as such.
Changes to the city's liquor license codes in March 2008 allow for only two Class B-1 licenses, which are issued to full-service liquor stores. Currently, the two licenses are held by the same parent company. One Class B-1 license is allowed in the city per 12,000 residents. The city currently has less than 25,000 residents, meaning a new Class B-1 license likely won't be issued for some time.
"The 10 percent (limit) is just not enough space from a retailer's point of view, and I'm a retailer," said Bob Kristensen, owner of Mobile Food and Fuel, 2025 S. Eastwood Road. When asked how much space he currently has devoted to alcohol and tobacco advertising, Kristensen estimated about 30 percent. As a compromise, the city increased the limit to 20 percent.
Retailers will be responsible for tagging kegs
At the meeting, the city also imposed a keg-tagging ordinance. Only businesses with Class B-1 liquor licenses are impacted by the ordinance.
Under the ordinance, the purchaser will provide proof of identification to the retailer, at which point the keg will be tagged with a number that will track the person who purchased it. The purchaser will sign a form indicating that no person under age 21 will be served from the keg. If police find that an underage person is drinking from the keg, the tag will identify the purchaser, and police will issue citations to the purchaser as well as the underage drinker.
"I think it is a community message," Sager said. "We simply will not tolerate underage drinking."
The ordinance had its detractors, however. Woodstock resident Mark Indyke said he is concerned that tagging adds yet another layer of bookkeeping for retailers without accomplishing the goal of limiting underage drinking. Indyke said buyers would simply purchase cans or bottles of beer or go to a different community to purchase an untagged keg.
The council voted unanimously to approve both ordinances.
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