Council considers stricter liquor‑license accountability, point system and drive‑through limits

Lede: Riverton council members on Sept. 9 asked staff to research stronger enforcement and accountability for on‑ and off‑premises liquor-license holders, including adopting a point system and reviewing drive‑through sale rules.

Nut graf: Councilmember Karen Johnson said other Wyoming cities use a point-based approach to track repeated license violations and urged adoption of a system that would record and accumulate infractions; staff and the city attorney outlined existing city code provisions and legal constraints about local licensing authority and enforcement.

Body: Councilmember Karen Johnson said Laramie and Cody use point systems to record liquor-license violations and urged a similar system so violations—such as serving minors, serving already-intoxicated patrons or operating outside permitted hours—are tracked year-to-year and can affect renewals. Johnson said she wants documented evidence that license holders have been counseled before any renewal and argued points should accumulate rather than expire automatically.

City Attorney Rick Sollers cautioned that restrictions on licensees can raise enforcement and legal challenges and recalled a past local attempt to bar “chronic alcoholics” from purchase that met strong resistance from licensees. Sollers said the city can be more restrictive than the state but must weigh enforcement practicalities: “They felt that they were, becoming an arm of government in the enforcement,” he said regarding the prior proposal.

Councilmembers asked about drive-through liquor sales. Staff read the city code provisions on drive-up service: areas used for orders and delivery must be within 40 feet of the licensed building, well lighted and subject to inspection, and orders may not be accepted from persons under 21. A staff member also said the city already prohibits serving obviously intoxicated persons.

Councilmembers agreed to hold further discussion with license holders in October and to explore a point system, enhanced documentation of violations, and possible local restrictions on drive-through operations while recognizing the need to target the practices that actually affect frequent repeat offenders.

Ending: Staff and the city attorney will return with options for a point system, a menu of local license conditions the city may impose, and examples of drive-through restrictions from other Wyoming cities prior to the planned October discussion.