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City, EPD may regulate drinking at tailgaters
The city council is looking at drafting an ordinance that would require pay-for-use lots to get licenses
by Calvin Hall | News Reporter
Game days at Autzen Stadium are not only known as opportunities to cheer on the Ducks, but also for the widespead opportunity to attend tailgate parties, which often sell or provide beer and alcohol.
But what is not well known is that drinking in any parking lot besides the stadium's is illegal. The inability of the Eugene Police Department to enforce those laws has prompted police and city officials to review alcohol enforcement, which may involve changes to policies regarding alcohol on the University's Autzen property.
In a Monday work session, the Eugene City Council decided to look at drafting an ordinance that would require property owners and managers to get permits that would allow alcohol drinking in their pay-for-use lots. They discussed the area around Autzen as a problem area, but did not mention any other specifics as to areas that would be covered by an ordinance.
The new ordinance would put greater responsibility on the owners and managers of the pay-for-use lots to monitor drinking and behavior and on the city to review and issue permits.
Police Capt. Pete Kerns said as parking has become less available at Autzen, the tailgating parties have moved into the surrounding lots, which are rented out as space by non-profit organizations. The lack of police staff has made it difficult to deal with the liquor violations and alcohol-related violence and disputes.
"On game days, there's virtually no enforcement for what is, without any question, the largest gathering of unregulated drinking in the city on any given day a year," Kerns said. "The police department doesn't have the capacity to address those violations, even if we wanted to."
Autzen Stadium is exempt from the law because of a 1983 ordinance that permits alcohol drinking in the Autzen parking lot for four hours before and two hours after the games.
Nevertheless, the permit option would look at seeing if the city could make the University, a state entity, acquire liquor permits for the Autzen parking lot. Kerns said the issue was brought up because of equity concerns over making property owners get alcohol permits.
But what is not well known is that drinking in any parking lot besides the stadium's is illegal. The inability of the Eugene Police Department to enforce those laws has prompted police and city officials to review alcohol enforcement, which may involve changes to policies regarding alcohol on the University's Autzen property.
In a Monday work session, the Eugene City Council decided to look at drafting an ordinance that would require property owners and managers to get permits that would allow alcohol drinking in their pay-for-use lots. They discussed the area around Autzen as a problem area, but did not mention any other specifics as to areas that would be covered by an ordinance.
The new ordinance would put greater responsibility on the owners and managers of the pay-for-use lots to monitor drinking and behavior and on the city to review and issue permits.
Police Capt. Pete Kerns said as parking has become less available at Autzen, the tailgating parties have moved into the surrounding lots, which are rented out as space by non-profit organizations. The lack of police staff has made it difficult to deal with the liquor violations and alcohol-related violence and disputes.
"On game days, there's virtually no enforcement for what is, without any question, the largest gathering of unregulated drinking in the city on any given day a year," Kerns said. "The police department doesn't have the capacity to address those violations, even if we wanted to."
Autzen Stadium is exempt from the law because of a 1983 ordinance that permits alcohol drinking in the Autzen parking lot for four hours before and two hours after the games.
Nevertheless, the permit option would look at seeing if the city could make the University, a state entity, acquire liquor permits for the Autzen parking lot. Kerns said the issue was brought up because of equity concerns over making property owners get alcohol permits.
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