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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1999-02-17, Page 22 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, February 11, 116!11 •� Liquor act would be policy Act would have to be strictly followed, giving arena clear policy FROM Page 1 help bartenders control the amount of alcohol patrons receive to prevent incidents such as someone being hurt drinking and driving. O'Connor said having a licence would give the centre a clear policy on how alcohol is handled, keeping it all under the centres' control as it follows the laws set out by the Liquor Licence Act. "That way, [the liquor policy] is consistent. It won't be changed by local people on the board; by local politicians," he said. That policy would also address the issue of illegal drinking in the dressing rooms. While renters could still get special occasions permits instead of holding an event under the centre's liquor licence, O'Connor said the event would still be under their policy (the Act). In testimony given by the opposition, concern had been raised that the-SDCC did not have a policy. He pointed out four of the five municipalities represented by the Arena Manager Graham Nesbitt and SDCC chair Dennis O'Connor presented the case in favour of having a liquor licence at the community centres. HILGENDORFF PHOTO community 'centres committee were in favour of applying for a licence with Seaforth being the only objectors. He also said the inspections from electrical•to health, that were required to be followed and acted upon before a liquor licence could be applied for, have helped improve the operations of _ the. facility.._ also partof its mandate. While they want to increase business at the arena. he said it's not their intent to compete with other businesses. O'Connor told the board businesses were given the opportunity to submit proposals for catering to events at the arena should it proceed with a licence. That suggestion was developed at a meeting the community centres had with various service clubs and businesses• in 1996. The committee received- no proposals. O'Connor said their plans are to develop a premier facility that could eventually include a swimming pool or other ice surfaces. Right now, he said the facilities' ice time is completely booked and they want to provide more to continue drawing more people to the Seaforth area. Arena Manage Graham Nesbitt said the SDCC already makes sure there is appropriate security when special occasion permits are issued but said the facility needs "a hard and fast alcohol policy in relation to permits for groups." Again, this would be the Liquor Licence Act that would have to be followed if a liquor licence was given. All staff would be trained with "smart server" programs. Already, if staff notices minors where they are not permitted when a special occasion permit' is in effect. they are asked to leave, even though it is an issue the permit holders are supposed to be following. When a licence i_s_granted, he said it becomes their responsibility to ensure the Liquor Licence Act is followed. Arena would be competition Business community doesn't want to compete with public facility FROM Page 1 in the public interest. He told the board residents are saying the community centres were not built with the intention of serving alcohol and that those who contributed to building it would not have done so if they knew alcohol would be served there. Currently, special occasions permits have to be applied for by individuals or groups who wish to use .some of the facilities for such events as wedding receptions. Scott also said the commisision requires a resolution of support from the municipality. In '1996, such a resolution was passed by council when the SDCC management committee decided to apply _for_a licence. _ The issue wasn't raised at council again until this past November when members of the -business community learned of a alcohol commision advertisement asking for any objections to the SDCC's application for the liquor licence. Scott told the board, "This is a new council that objects to this licence." He said the current council's wishes should come before the previous council. replaced in 1997. Until the issue was raised again. most of council was unaware the SDCC committee was proceeding with a liquor licence application. The SDCC committee consists of ' five municipalities that contribute to the facilties' operation but Scott said since it is located in Scaforth, which also contributes the greatest share, Scaforth's supporting resolution is the only one that should count. Seaforth is thc only one from the five municipalities to oppose ,the licence application. Drinking in dressing rooms not controlled The lack of enforcement of laws prohibiting drinking in arena dressing rooms was also used as a reason not to issue a liquor licence. "it seems to be a publicly admitted truth that drinking goes on in the dressing room," said Scott. He pointed to minutes from community centre board meetings dating back to 1996 that identified drinking in dressing rooms as a reason for applying for a liquor licence; to help control the use of alcohol in the facility. Later, under cross examination by Scott, Arena Manager Graham Nesbitt said he has seen both minors and others drinking in dressing rooms and could not say the number of times. In similar cross examinatiort, O'Connorsaid he has never seen it. Scott said the board has never shown a policy for ;.handling alcohol in the dressing rooms. "If they have a plan, they haven't shared it with the public," he said. . He said if the arena can't handle the situation, the licence has to be turned down In his presentation to the board, O'Connor explained that the arena's liquor policy would be the Liquor Licence Act which would have to be followed if .a licence was issued. - Licence could be cash grab Scott also pointed out community centres board minutes from 1996 that showed Nesbitt explaining how a Monkton arena makes $15,000 to $20,000 a year selling liquor. Scott suggested this shows the reason for the licence was to make money, not to help police the dressing rooms. He told the board he has heard stories of the arena planning to build a second ice pad or curling rink but nothing relating to that has turned up in any minutes he has seen. Later, during the applicant's portion of the evidence, Scott cross examined O'Connor who said board brainstorming sessions came up with suggestions for building a pool or second ice pad. "We want it to' be thc premier operation in this area," said O'Connor of the community centres. Having those additions would help attract more people. When Scott asked what would happen to the profits made by selling liquor, O'Connor said it would go back to the facility for such needs as a new zambonie; a piece of equipment that would cast well in excess of.,.y. the suggested $15,000 profits. "If there's money there, it's obviously going to reduce the costs of operation," O'Connor said. He said profits could go in a capital fund to cover operating costs rather than seeking donations from area service clubs. The facilities make 97 cents on every dollar spent. The remaining operating funds come from the five area municipalities. Scott said the complex was built first and foremost as a recreation facility. "It is a community centre where people of all ages congregate with an emphasis on youth," he said, questioning what is wrong with the arena continuing to make 97 cents and the municipalities carrying the extra costs. Businesses object There isn't enough business to go around for' another liquor licenced establishment in town. That was the message Business Improvement Area Chair Susan Halfpenny brough to the hearing. She represented 90 local businesses at the hearing and told the board, with a little more 2,000 people in town, the market share is not large enough to support another liquor licence. If a licence is granted. she said, "One or more of those establishments has to begin to suffer." She pointed to the hard work the BIA has been doing to develop the downtown in the past few years and that people who come to the arena have been stopping downtown to shop. Weeks later, she said people from out of town have been in her store Susan's Sewing/The Hobby Shop. after hearing about the town from friends who were at an arena event. But with a liquor licence at the arena, she is afraid it will hurt thc licenced establishments in the downtown. She said if one or more of them are lost, it leads to a downward spiral where other businesses• suffer and close. "Perhaps since families are more important than alcohol. the arena bodrd could consider a juice bar," she said. Jason Wheatly, owner of the Commerical Hotel on Main Street said he was concerned about why the commision would consider giving a licence to a publically funded building. He said it would hurt his business if everything a person wanted was at thc arena and they didn't have to come downtown. Elizabeth Kittar of the Queen's Hotel said, "in such a small, populated area, 1 don't feel we can divy up the alcohol dollars any more than it already is." Gary Gagnier, owner of Sizzlers Restaurant and Pub said, "I don't see the community centre with a liquor licence helping our town out at all." He told the commission of a meeting the arena board had with various community groups and businesses to discuss the possibility of applying for a licence. "It's my recollection there was not even one guest present at this meeting that approved of the idea and most of us plain -out rejected the whole of it." Paul Steven Lions Club president and a member of the public who requested to be appointed a "party" at the hearing. also had the right to call witnesses. The Lions Club was one of the groups invited to that meeting and, in his testimony, said the club decided not to support a licence application at that time. He said, no further comment came form the arena board after it received a letter of objection from the Lions Club. "The Seaforth and District Community Centres would not exist if not for the hard work and dedications of organizations and businesses such as were represented at that initial public meeting fin 1996] and here today. In our opinion, it's our community centre too and we don't want a liquor licence," Steven said. Public is concerned "The residents in Seaforth are opposed." said Scaforth resident Kim Russell. "We arc sending the wrong kind of message to our youth by licensing the arena. We are telling them that when you play or watch sports, you need to have access to a bar." She said there arc enough licenced restaurants and Kars in town that people can go to after a sporting event to keep alcohol out of the arena. "The community centre should be kept accessible for families. youth and small children," she said. She wanted to know that children would be kept safe from the increased dangers of drunk drivers at the arena and from being exposed to a patron who might be causing trouble while under the" influence of alcohol. "The ice -side is a smoke- free area to protect people from second-hand smoke. Please make it alcohol -free to protect people from the second-hand - effects of drinking," she said. Russell quoted statistics from " the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health that show Huron County has higher than provincial rates for alcohol abuse and incidents of drinking and driving. ALBERT ST. DENTURE CLINIC D.R. 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