9.
City Council Work Session
- Meeting Date:
- 08/30/2016
- From:
- Walt Miller, Deputy Chief
- Department:
- Police Department
Co-Submitter:
TITLE:
Discussion on Tequila Sunrise.
DESIRED OUTCOME:
To build partnerships with business owners and others that take part in Tequila Sunrise in order to mitigate issues that may arise and address the unintended consequences of this event. This will also help establish a dialogue with stakeholders that may lead to better management of the event.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
In October of 2015 the Mayor and Council heard concerns from business owners and citizens living near the downtown area about Tequila Sunrise, which is an unsponsored event. Tequila Sunrise coincides with the annual homecoming events of Northern Arizona University. To improve staff's understanding of community issues and community understanding of the City's roles, responsibilities and limitations, a community working group was established after the 2015 Tequila Sunrise event. The Mayor & Council expressed interest in bringing together a diverse group from the community to talk about Tequila Sunrise. The overarching objective was to see if there is anything we could do to partner as interested community stakeholders with the sponsoring businesses to mitigate the unintended consequences that spin off from the early-morning event.
INFORMATION:
In February 2016, a Tequila Sunrise Community Working Group was established that consisted of interested community stakeholders. A series of meetings between February and May were held. Some of the main discussion points during the meetings consisted of liquor laws and special event permits. It has been determined that a special event permit is not required nor would it be appropriate as this is a non-sponsored and unsanctioned event that takes place in private businesses. With regards to liquor laws it has been established that there are no restrictions that would prohibit participating establishments from opening for business at six in the morning to serve alcohol, as all liquor licenses allow the business to serve at 6:00am (except Sundays)
Some of the unintended consequences that have been observed during Tequila Sunrise include an increase in pedestrian traffic in the downtown area which flows south back toward NAU at the intersections of Route 66 at Beaver and Route 66 at San Francisco. It has also been noted that there has been lack of restroom facilities, excessive alcohol consumption, and litter in the area.
Terry Madeksza Executive Director of the Flagstaff Downtown Business Alliance has offered to coordinate with participating establishments to obtain additional porta-johns. She has also offered to coordinate with Mountain Line to see if they would dedicate a bus and a specific route to transport people out of the downtown area after the event was over.
Representatives from Northern Arizona University participated in the working group and are planning to offer a number of alternative activities for students this day. They are also planning to provide information to students regarding positive alternatives to Tequila Sunrise.
The Police Department will continue to maintain public safety and provide a high visibility presence during the event. We will continue to be proactive with regards to liquor law enforcement during the upcoming 2016 Tequila Sunrise event.
Council Goals:
These efforts can be tied to Council Goal #8- Improve effectiveness of notification, communication, and engagement with residents, neighborhoods and businesses and about City services, programs, policies, projects and developments.
These efforts can also be tied to Council Goal #4- Develop and implement guiding principle that address public safety service levels through appropriate staffing levels.
Some of the unintended consequences that have been observed during Tequila Sunrise include an increase in pedestrian traffic in the downtown area which flows south back toward NAU at the intersections of Route 66 at Beaver and Route 66 at San Francisco. It has also been noted that there has been lack of restroom facilities, excessive alcohol consumption, and litter in the area.
Terry Madeksza Executive Director of the Flagstaff Downtown Business Alliance has offered to coordinate with participating establishments to obtain additional porta-johns. She has also offered to coordinate with Mountain Line to see if they would dedicate a bus and a specific route to transport people out of the downtown area after the event was over.
Representatives from Northern Arizona University participated in the working group and are planning to offer a number of alternative activities for students this day. They are also planning to provide information to students regarding positive alternatives to Tequila Sunrise.
The Police Department will continue to maintain public safety and provide a high visibility presence during the event. We will continue to be proactive with regards to liquor law enforcement during the upcoming 2016 Tequila Sunrise event.
Council Goals:
These efforts can be tied to Council Goal #8- Improve effectiveness of notification, communication, and engagement with residents, neighborhoods and businesses and about City services, programs, policies, projects and developments.
These efforts can also be tied to Council Goal #4- Develop and implement guiding principle that address public safety service levels through appropriate staffing levels.