Council OKs alcohol ordinance

8-0 vote clears way for sale, consumption at special events in parks

FAYETTEVILLE — Alcohol will be allowed in city parks during special events with mayoral approval.

The City Council voted unanimously, 8-0, to approve an ordinance that allows the sale, possession and consumption of alcohol in parks. The ordinance only applies to special events and only with approval from the mayor.

The change in the ordinance stemmed from a proposal

to bring Homegrown Music Festival to Kessler Mountain Regional Park. The sustainability-themed event has taken place in Ozark the past two years.

However, parks staff have contemplated such an ordinance for quite some time, said John Crow, recreation superintendent. Under the ordinance, applicants would also have to gain approval from the city’s police, fire and transportation departments, and comply with the requirements of the state Alcoholic Beverage Control division.

Jeremy Gunn, organizer of Homegrown, said alcohol sales serve as the main source of revenue for the event. It likely wouldn’t be able to move to the city otherwise.

Council Member Sarah Bunch said the change in the ordinance opens opportunities for people to use the city’s parks in a more modern way.

“This hits on block parties, weddings, festivals — pretty much every aspect of life in our city that we like to encourage and enjoy,” she said.

Council Member Matthew Petty said the decision was easy to make, and that it could serve as a first step. He added he saw nothing wrong

with allowing families and friends to gather in a park with a bottle of wine, for example.

“I know we’re not there yet,” he said.

The council spent more than an hour discussing the annual sidewalks and street overlay list. Two projects, on Halsell Road and Olive Avenue, drew the ire of neighbors and stalled the council’s vote.

About 1,100 feet of sidewalk would go on the north side of Halsell Road from Cross to Oliver avenues. The other project would put another 650 feet of sidewalk on Oliver Avenue from Halsell to Maple Street.

The intersection of Halsell Road and Oliver Avenue sits just west of Razorback Stadium, in the middle of a neighborhood. Six residents spoke against the proposal. Council members said they had received numerous emails since the list passed the Transportation Committee last month.

Residents spoke of the character of the neighborhood, saying other parts of Ward 4 needed a sidewalk more. Several said a sidewalk would put passers-by basically in their front yards, and that several oak trees would have to be uprooted in order to make room. The city maintains the right of way where a sidewalk would go.

Ultimately, the council decided to approve everything in the list except the Halsell Road and Oliver Avenue proposals. The Active Transportation committee, which meets today , will reconsider the items, as should the Transportation Committee, before it comes back to the council in February.

Mayor Lioneld Jordan makes the final decision in where sidewalks are built in the city. The City Council makes recommendations every year. Usually the list is placed on the consent agenda and approved without discussion.

In other business, the council voted 7-1 to adopt an energy action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and shift to clean energy sources. John La Tour cast the sole no vote.

The plan sets goals in transportation, energy supply, buildings and waste. By 2030, the local government would operate entirely on clean energy. The rest of the city would follow 20 years later.

Other aspects include reducing the number of vehicles on the road to 2010 levels, achieve a 3 percent annual reduction in energy use from buildings and setting the average housing and transportation costs to no more than 45 percent of total median household income.

Sustainability Director Peter Nierengarten said the city will become the 54th city in the country to adopt a 100 percent clean energy goal.

The council also selected Mark Kinion to serve as vice mayor for the year.