To the disappointment of many stake-holders in the city’s alcohol policy, the City Council will not discuss a recent report by a city subcommittee that recommends restricting drink specials in downtown bars tonight.
The report is now scheduled for consideration at the council’s May 21 meeting. Alders said the delay is due to an overly packed agenda.
“On the one hand, I am happy to delay this stuff as long as possible because I don’t believe in it,” Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said. “On the other hand, I wish the report would be debated in the sunshine when most UW students are still in town.”
Ald. Kent Palmer, District 15, chair of the ALRC subcommittee that drafted the report, said while he is disappointed with the delay, he would work to ensure any recommendations in the report that affect students, including the proposed regulation of drink specials, would not be made into legislation until students are back in Madison next fall.
“I want to conduct business in the light of day,” Palmer said. “I won’t introduce any legislation, and I will discourage others from doing so as well.”
UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley supports the subcommittee’s recommendation to restrict drink specials as a measure to deter binge drinking. Union Director Mark Guthier said he and Wiley were planning on attending the council meeting tonight to hear the debate.
“We’re disappointed that the issue is getting put off until all of the students are gone,” Guthier said.
The council was also expected to vote on a resolution to form a mid-State Street parking ramp committee to make recommendations about constructing an additional parking ramp downtown.
Verveer said he would ask the council tonight to refer the matter to the May 21 meeting to avoid debating the issue late into the night.
“There are definitely issues surrounding the ramp that remain controversial, like the possible demolition of houses and traffic congestion,” he said.
Also being referred to a later meeting this summer is the city’s controversial loitering ordinance. Ald. Gary Poulson, District 20, said action on that item would also be referred due to a packed agenda.
“As far as I know there is nothing going on behind the scenes,” Poulson said.
One of the issues that some alders expect will receive attention at the meeting is a briefing by Mayor Sue Bauman and the Madison Police Department about mounting costs for security at the U.S. Conference of Mayors scheduled to come to Madison this June.
A recent memo from Police Chief Richard Williams to Bauman reportedly indicated that security costs are estimated to be $6,000 over budget.
The briefing is expected to highlight how the city will make up for the additional costs.
The council meets tonight in room 201 of the City-County Building at 6:30 p.m.
