City officials pondered the future of a keg-registration ordinance Thursday after the Madison Alcohol License Review Committee filed the proposal at a meeting Wednesday.

By approving the motion to place the keg registration ordinance on file, the ALRC has essentially given the ordinance a place to die. Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, who has opposed the ordinance since its introduction by Ald. Paul Skidmore, District 9, explained the future of the ordinance.

"Placing an item on file, in city hall lingo, is a rejection of the item," Verveer said. "However, we cannot kill things in city committees. Only the Common Council can do that."

Verveer said city committees have consistently approached the keg-registration ordinance negatively.

"The ALRC rejected the proposal in the summer, and Paul Skidmore did not even bring it before council because he knew it would fail," Verveer said. "Even after he weakened the regulations of the ordinance, the Public Safety Review Board rejected it. It seems that the city's negative view on the ordinance has carried through."

The ALRC has rejected the ordinance twice, Verveer added.

Skidmore has consistently defended his proposal by saying it would serve to promote responsible drinking in Madison, especially for University of Wisconsin students. Madison Police Department Sgt. Emil Quast said house parties cannot be controlled.

"This ordinance is about the partnership between the city and the alcohol industry," Quast said. "The most important thing is that drinking can be monitored at bars, but not at house parties."

Verveer said he does not expect the rejection of the ordinance by the ALRC to discourage Skidmore. Verveer said representatives from the MPD, UW Policy Alternatives Community Education (PACE) project and the Southern Wisconsin Landlords Association spoke in favor of the ordinance.

"I expect that Paul won't go down without a fight," Verveer said. "Skidmore is trying to build a coalition of support with the police, UW administration and landlords. Obviously these people would not be on the same side of the issue as most UW students."

According to Verveer, the Public Safety Review Board will hear the proposal again before it reaches Common Council. Council will likely hear it in late December or January, he added.