As part of their continued efforts to draft a citywide alcohol policy, university and city representatives heard keg registration and downtown liquor licensing presentations Tuesday from top city officials.

During a meeting of the Policy Alternatives Community Education organization, Ald. Paul Skidmore, District 9, announced he would once again try to garner support for a citywide keg registration ordinance.

Previous versions of the ordinance — which included limiting the number of kegs residents could buy in Madison and granting police access to liquor store receipts to see which residences purchased kegs — have been voted down by city committees twice before.

According to PACE Coordinator Susan Crowley, while the specific language of an ordinance has not yet been drafted, Skidmore suggested during the meeting he hopes to have a keg registration ordinance pass in time for the annual Mifflin Street Block Party.

"[Skidmore] indicated bringing the ordinance back to Common Council this spring," Crowley said in a phone interview. "He's gathering support from a broad group of constituents … in the hopes of getting keg registration to pass this time."

However, Skidmore might face the same level of opposition as before, according to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4.

"If the City Council voted today, he wouldn't have the support," Verveer said in a phone interview. "[Skidmore's] biggest charge will be to figure out some language to get City Council to support it."

Verveer, who has ardently opposed keg registration since its initial introduction, called keg registration "unnecessary" and "big brother-ish."

While proponents argue keg registration would help prevent house parties from becoming out of control, Verveer argued police do not need help in shutting down potentially dangerous house parties.

"Cops have no problem finding, shutting down and prosecuting house parties," Verveer said.

However, John Lucas, a University of Wisconsin representative on the PACE committee, said the university supports keg registration because it helps prevent the "secondhand" problems — violence, sexual assault and property damage, among them — that result from large house parties.

"When people have a small gathering with a single keg, it's much less likely to be out of control … and lead to police intervention," Lucas said.

The other primary focus of Tuesday's PACE meeting was downtown liquor licensing.

Joel Plant, Madison's alcohol policy coordinator — or "bar czar" — addressed the downtown liquor licensing application process. He said he hopes to propose a revamped liquor-licensing plan to the City Council within the "next few months."

"We're not at a point of suggesting a particular plan," Plant said in a phone interview, adding he would like to see a liquor-licensing plan in place by the end of the year. "It depends on what the city wants for itself in terms of planning and where it's going."

According to Plant, city officials need to discuss not only the number of liquor licenses allocated, but also the types of licenses given out in a certain area.

Plant referred to bar capacity as a primary issue city officials need to address.

"You can't just look at the number of licenses," Plant said. "Hypothetically, you might have 10 licenses in an area, but what are the capacities?"

The proximity of bars and liquor stores to schools and churches was another issue Plant said needed to be addressed by city officials when drafting a liquor licensing policy.

PACE plans to meet again in April.