1998-01-12 Workshop and Regular Meeting of City Council

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®L 1 City of La Pone Interoffice Memorandum .December 8,1997 To: Jeif Litchfield, Assistant City Manager From: StE;phen L. Barr, Parks and Recreation Director Re: Alcohol Permit for Sylvan Beach Pavilion On Thursday, December 3'~, Mr. Paul Morgan, of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, informed Jesse Garcia that the TABC would no longer issue temporary alcohol permits for Sylvan Beach after DecF:mber 31 ~ of this year. Apparently since our lease agreement with Harris County began, and our ~:ontract with Jesse, Jesse has obtained a temporary beer and wine permit for each event at which beer. and wine was served. Apparently, there is a fairly low limit to the number of temporary permits that can be issued annually to the same site and we have exceeded that limit regu'Isirly for the past few years. Given that a new permanent permit takes approximately 6•-8 weeks to process through the TABC, I was concerned about our ability to provide alcohol ~i~or events scheduled in~ January at the Pavilion. spoke with Mr. I~Aorgan of the TABC this morning and he agreed to extend our temporary permits through January 31 ~ if necessary, so that service to our customers would not be disrupted. Although this is good news in that our customers will not lose alcohol privileges, a .permanent beer and wine permit for the Pavilion will necessitate some changes in the way we do business for certain customers at the Pavilion. First, let me disc~~ss the three alternatives available to us as the property lessee. One alternative is for Jesse to be issued a .permanent beer and wine permit. If Jesse is the permanent permit holder, he will control: all the alcoliol consumption at the Pavilion. Another alternative is for the City to be the permit. holder. In conversation with Mr. Morgan, this is not a popular alternative because the City Council and Mayor are the responsible parties and thus can be held liable for any problem that may occur (i.e. serving to minors, etc:) and would be subject to administrative citations, should a ~problem~ occur. •A third altemative~ is for Jesse to obtain a mixed drink permit. The major proti.lem here .is that, .BYOB is not allowed with a mixed drink permit. It is also prohibitively expensive. It does not solve the caterer/drinks problem (discussed in the next paragraph). With this in mind, I recommend that Jesse be allowed to obtain a permanent beer and wine permit. Prior to the end of our contract with Jesse in 1999, we would put out an RFP for services. if someone other. than Jesse received the new contract, there would be time to apply prior to the end.of the: contract with. Jesse. . In regard to the'c~hanges in. the. way we currently do business with Jesse as the permanent beer and' wine permit holder,. Jesse would have sole ability. to provide alcohol at the pavilion. As mentioned abovE:, BYOB is.allowed with a beer arid wine permit but cannot be sold.. No mixed drinks could be :served at the pavilion in the future because, once a permanent beer and wine