By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Hays city commissioners will take a look at ordinances regarding alcohol consumption on city streets during their work session Thursday, April 7.

Vice-mayor Shaun Musil requested the discussion a few weeks ago.

“Currently, it is illegal in Kansas to consume alcohol on city streets or on city sidewalks. You are able to drink alcohol in the Hays parks (which are public property),” explained Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood.

“Those have been exempted (by the city commission) so you’re allowed to do things like Oktoberfest and those events but it’s not allowed downtown at this point.”

Last Saturday’s Brews on the Bricks was allowed to take place on a city street because the city leased the area to the Downtown Hays Development Corporation and it was completely blocked off from the surrounding area.

According to Wood, the city was notified by the local Alcohol Beverage and Control Agent that it’s likely the option of leasing public property to a private entity in order to include alcohol at an event will not be allowed in the future. When property is leased, a special event permit is not allowed. This means that the event would fall under other alcohol licensing requirements that are more stringent than what is allowed under a special event permit.

“City staff was asked to see what could be done to allow events such as Brews on the Bricks, Wines and Steins–those sorts of events held downtown–to allow participants to actually have possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages on the city streets or sidewalks,” said Wood.

“We’ll do a full review of our city ordinances and maybe the commission will make a decision to change what we have on the books.”

The work session gets underway at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.

The complete agenda can be seen here.