Tuesday night, the City Council unanimously passed an ordinance requiring liquor-store owners to check identification verifying the legal drinking age of individuals purchasing alcoholic beverages for delivery in person, and to keep records of those individuals for two years.
The ordinance also requires requests for alcohol delivery to be made in person at the store and that the purchaser be present at the delivery address to sign a receipt upon delivery. After a purchaser has “registered” with the store, subsequent delivery requests can be made over the phone.
The Alcohol Licensing and Review Committee passed the ordinance Monday, Dec. 2, and it passed without discussion at the City Council meeting. The council added an amendment stating that police cannot request receipts unless there is an active investigation in progress. Another amendment, added by the ALRC, passed through the council; it allows fraternities, sororities and other organizations to continue to purchase alcohol through credit accounts. The decision was made without debate due to a number of factors. No member of the public appeared to debate the issue.
“There was no debate because this ordinance will not make that big of a difference for liquor store owners or interfere with students’ social life and plans,” Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said.
Verveer and Susan Crowley, director of Prevention Services for UW Health Services, were the only people to speak at Monday’s meeting of the ALRC. After talking with liquor-store owners, Verveer said none were opposed to the new regulations because they do not interfere with regular business operations.
ALRC Chair Ald. Tim Bruer, District 14, said he was happy with how smooth and quickly the proceedings went. Verveer said the ordinance was inspired due to suspicions that Party Port, 2901 University Ave., was not running a “tight” delivery operation.
Now other liquor stores have to comply with the new regulations. University Liquor, 540 University Ave., and Riley’s Wines Of The World, 402 W. Gorham St., already abide by these rules, so they are not likely to be affected.
Ald. Tom Powell, District 5, said he was concerned he did not know enough about what the ordinance entailed, and asked that the issue be brought up later in the meeting after he had more time to read over the regulations. The issue was passed late in the meeting.
Verveer said misconceptions that the bill instills keg registration are incorrect.
He also said that keg registration is the tracking of serial numbers assigned to kegs by the government. The new ordinance only requires in-person identification and a signed receipt upon any delivery of beer, wine, and liquor. Verveer said he feels further regulation of keg delivery would be unnecessary.
