North St. Paul attorney outlines draft for consumption-and-display permits; council to consider ordinance at next meeting

Attorney Jack Birkbank told the City Council workshop on April 1 that the city is preparing a draft amendment to the North St. Paul City Code to authorize “consumption and display” permits, a kind of liquor authorization that would not allow a business to sell or serve alcohol but would allow patrons to bring and consume their own alcohol on site.

Birkbank said the draft responds to questions the council raised at an earlier meeting and is intended to address liability and public-safety concerns while allowing events such as wedding receptions and private gatherings at eligible venues. “A consumption and display permit is a type of liquor license that does not allow a business to sell or serve alcohol, but does allow people to bring their own,” he said.

The draft requires an externally engaged, trained person to oversee alcohol at events because, Birkbank said, state law prevents that person from being…