City ‘20 years behind the times’ on booze rules
Before the Santa Monica City Council changes the way it issues permits to businesses that sell alcohol, it wants more information.
The planning commission requested last January that the council update the rules and regulations regarding the process in which businesses apply for and obtain permits to sell alcohol.
Santa Monica has issued 295 liquor licenses — the third highest ratio of population to the number of establishments allowed to serve alcohol in the state, behind Beverly Hills and San Francisco.
But council members said the request was not specific enough and public concerns were vague. They voted unanimously last Tuesday to send the issue back to the planning commission for further study and recommendations.
“As for the alcohol policy, we need to deal with enforcement issues,” said Mayor Mike Feinstein. “But it doesn’t seem like it should be a concern for staff.”
Kelly Olsen, chairman of the planning commission, wants to make it mandatory for any business owner wishing to serve alcoholic beverages or any employee who will serve alcohol to undertake a free training session from the Alcohol Beverage Commission.
Making the training program mandatory, a policy Olsen said Los Angeles already requires, is something the planning commission can do without involving the council or city staff.
“It would simply be condition we could throw into our current alcohol permit regulations,” Olsen said.
The planning commission chair also said he would like to have all alcohol permit holders come before the commission every three years to renew their permit. Currently, once a business is given an alcohol permit, they have it forever.
But if businesses are forced to return, those that are not acting in according to the city’s rules and regulations wouldn’t have their permits renewed, he said.
“There has never been an alcohol permit that has been revoked,” Olsen said. “There never has been and there never will be enforcement on these issues. Giving someone a permit without a sunset clause is like giving someone a blank check.”
However, enacting that change would require approval from the city council. Olsen said the planning commission will bring experts in to talk about the issue to provide the city council with the information it needs.
The city hasn’t updated its alcohol regulations in over a decade, he said. In addition, Santa Monica is decades behind Los Angeles and a number of other southern California cities in terms of controlling businesses that serve alcohol.
“There are other communities that have far more responsible policies regarding the use of alcohol,” Olsen said. “I believe Santa Monica is 20 years behind the times on this and it’s about time some real changes are made.”
Residents at last Tuesday’s council meeting were concerned that the rate of teenage drinking in the city was high because of the large number of businesses serving alcohol.
“Our students get their alcohol from any number of the liquor stores in Santa Monica or in the surrounding communities,” said Stephanie Barbenall. “And when clerks won’t serve them, they get drunks, many of whom are homeless, to buy it for them.”
But some council members said it was not the job of the council to keep alcohol out of children’s hands.
“I think we should have a policy that parents should keep track of their kids and make sure they aren’t getting into drinking,” said Councilman Bob Holbrook. “I’m not sure how a (city policy) would impact on parent values and student values when it comes to drinking, but that’s where these changes need to be emphasized.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 5, 2002. Read the original PDF.