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Council committee advances ordinance to allow alcohol at Dane Park cabin rentals with insurance and police detail
Summary
Local government committee moved ordinance 25‑25 forward after parks staff proposed allowing alcohol at the historic Dane Park cabin during rentals if organizers provide liquor‑liability insurance and a police officer; council discussed risks to the historic structure and smoking enforcement.
The Local Government and Community Services Committee advanced ordinance 25‑25, which would allow alcohol at the Dane Park cabin during rental events if renters obtain liquor‑liability insurance and secure a police officer for the event.
Nick Lumpkin, Facilities Coordinator for the city, told the committee the change is limited to the cabin during rental events and would require event liability insurance with liquor or liquor liability and an on‑site police officer. “The ordinance would require anyone wanting to serve alcohol to provide event liability insurance with liquor liability … along with the requirement to have a police officer present during the event as well,” Lumpkin said.
Why it matters: the cabin is a city historic asset and council members raised concerns about protecting the building from damage while also allowing the rental program to attract weddings and other events that could increase rental revenue.
Discussion highlights: several council members said they were comfortable with standard practices for venues — insurance and officer detail — but asked staff about frequency of events, officer availability and cost. Lumpkin estimated basic liquor‑liability insurance could start around $75 for a typical event and reported the police officer fee for similar events is commonly $50 per hour with a four‑hour minimum. A councilmember suggested adding a clear smoking prohibition for the entire park in the rental agreement to avoid damage near the historic building.
Financial and procedural notes: staff said a $100 cleaning fee currently applies to rentals and that adding a security deposit is under consideration; staff indicated rental fee tiers (resident vs. nonresident) would remain in place. The committee voted to move the ordinance to second and subsequent third readings; the motion passed unanimously as recorded in committee.
Next steps: staff will continue benchmarking rental rates and operational details; if council approves the ordinance on the floor, the city will publish revised rental rules that specify insurance, police detail and smoking prohibitions in the rental agreement.
