By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

A new ordinance giving the City Manager administrative authority to exempt public property for special events was approved by Hays city commissioners Thursday night.

The current code gives the City Manager the authority to close off city streets, but in accordance with state law, does not include a provision that would allow for sale, possession or consumption of alcohol on city streets, sidewalks, alleys or parking areas. Alcohol is permitted in public parking lots as long as they are segregated from the surrounding area and no vehicles are allowed to drive in the area.

Vice-Mayor Shaun Musil had asked for a review of the municipal code several weeks ago in anticipation of the first-ever “Brews on the Bricks” craft beer festival in downtown Hays. The Downtown Hays Development Corporation (DHDC) event was a big success, drawing an estimated crowd of 700 people to tastings from multiple microbreweries, along with other related activities.

The myriad of state and local laws prohibiting the sale, possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages on public property required the city to lease the staging area–-a parking lot–-to the Downtown Hays Development Corporation. It was completely blocked off from the surrounding area.

“When property is leased, a special event permit is not allowed. This means the event would fall under other alcohol licensing requirements that are more stringent than what is allowed under a special event permit,” Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood explained during last week’s city commission work session.

“The state is requiring us to do it this way for their own good reasons,” City Attorney John Bird said Thursday night.

An ordinance dating from the 1970s allows alcohol consumption in Hays parks.

City Commissioner Henry Schwaller voted in favor of the new ordinance but said he was “torn” about it. “Coming off the heels of doing a survey and focus groups in 2014 for a downtown marketing plan, the number one complaint was there aren’t enough family-friend activities downtown.”

“My concern is this sends a confusing message about what downtown is and isn’t,” said Schwaller.

Musil, the father of three young children, and Commissioner Lance Jones agreed with Schwaller.

“Especially where you guys take public money,” added Jones. “There’s not been an event geared toward families since Frost Fest, that I can remember. I would make that a challenge to DHDC to make more family-friendly activities.”

In an add-on at the end of the meeting, Schwaller asked city staff to gather information about the possibility of installing a public restroom in downtown Hays.

Commissioner James Meier was absent from the meeting.