HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2013-02-13, Page 9Wednesday, February 13, 2013 • Lakeshore Advance 9
Bluewater ponders Hquor license for their facilities
Melissa Murray
OMI Agency
Bluewater is one of many munic-
ipalities concerned about recent
warnings from the Alcohol and
Gaming (:onttnision of Ontario's
threat of increased policing of
events including buck and does.
The increased threat of policing
prompted a discussion at 131uewa-
ter's February 4 regular council
meeting about whether (Bluewater
should license its own facilities.
Bluewater's Chief Administrative
Officer, Steve McAuley, informed
40Heil that he met with several
esentatives from the AGCO to
go over the specifics of what the
commission will be looking for in
regards to compliance for special
occasion permits.
'Ihe four rules that will be more
highly regulated include not adver-
tising private events either in the
newspaper or through social media
outlets, having only invited guests
in attendance, snaking no profit at
the bar and not operating games of
chance including 50/50 draws.
m
While McAuley said tickets can
be sold at the boor, they must In'
spoken for and put on a list.
"'These things can't be open to
anyone who is driving by to stop in
and have a drink," he said.
In terms of the games of chance,
McAuley clarified that while they
need a separate permit, games of
skill, like a motile toss, where the
prize isn't alcohol, or an auction or
a silent auction would be allowed.
Bluewater already has several
events scheduled for 2013, includ-
ing 11 buck and does and seven
weddings, all of which will need to
comply with the regulations, that
are not exactly new, but will now
be more heavily enforced. The
1iensall and Zurich arenas have
five buck and does and three wed-
dings booked, while the Stanley
complex in Varna has one buck
and doe and one wedding hooked
so far for this year.
'I'o help the renters understand
the policies, McAuley told council
that staff have talked specifically
with each renter to outline the
ramifications if they are found to
not be in compliance.
"1 can tell you the inspctors are
out in heavy force checking these
events out," said McAuley, "Should
it 1't'tttl'i' not follow the rules, vt'
could he held responsible in terms
of our facility and be put on it no
issue list, which would mean no
one would be able to get a licence
in our facility.'
"We need to manage risk and
educate the people that rent our
halls."
The other option McAuley pre-
sented was getting a permanent
liquor licence for each of the
municipality's facilities. With that,
renters would be able to advertise
and could split the profit, but it
would cause issues with staffing
and the municipality would he on
the hook for the cost of the appli-
cation and the risk management.
In terms of being competitive
with other facilities, Councillor -at -
large 'Tyler 1lessel suggested that
staff conte back with a report that
outlines the costs associated with
the liquor licence as well as a list of
what other municipalities are
doing.
"I think there is a push with
other municipalities taking it on so
they can get events, and I'd like to
know that for a fact," he said.
"If we are going to talk about
economic development in our
communities then we got to con-
sider this," said I Iessel.
Councillor Ianisse Zimmerman
agreed, "If we want to keep our
facilities open we need and need
the business to find out about hav-
ing a municipal liquor license."
But Councillor George Irvin
wasn't sure this is the direction the
municipality should go in.
"'This is just asking for trouble we
don't need. I can see the man-
power requests going up and up. 1
think this is a can of worms; how-
ever, councillor at large says we
should no what's going on with our
competition and I tend to agree,"
he said adding, "I'm not comforta-
ble with the municipality of Blue -
water becoming a server of
alcohol."
Before the vote, Deputy Mayor
Paul Klopp took issue with the
change in policing by the AG(:O,
acknowledging this calve down
from the province.
"'This is putting people that put
on buck and does for their families
in the sante realm as organized
crime. 1 find it insulting I really do.
I think they are going overboard.
Today we are going to make it
really hard for average Joe citizens
to have a bit of fun, raise some
money for the neighbourhood kid
and all because we are going to
darn well stop something that
wasn't a► problem," he said.
The report will come hack to
council at a future meeting.
A(. SAFETY DAY
Bluewater council decided at
their Feb. 4 meeting to donate the
Stanley Complex for a Progressive
Agriculture Safety Day this July.
Brenda Clutter came to ask
council for their support for the
safety day.
Councillors agreed that the event
was a worthy cause and was need
to educate children about house -
CONTINUED > PAGE 15
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