Board agrees to limited summer pilot allowing food and non-alcoholic beverages in auditorium; alcohol policy remains restricted for many events

The Brainerd School Board debated whether to allow food and beverages inside the district’s Gitche'si'di Center for the Arts auditorium and ultimately approved a limited summer pilot for bringing food and non-alcoholic beverages into the auditorium, with parameters and reporting requirements to be developed and reported back to the board.

District staff presented a background memo noting the current policy permits concessions and beverages in the lobby only and that a user request asked the district to allow alcohol to be taken into the auditorium for some rental events. Staff noted possible extra costs such as periodic steam cleaning of seats and other long-term maintenance and suggested users could be charged fees to offset those costs. "One of them was, like, an annual steam cleaning of the seats in the entire auditorium to keep them clean," staff said.

Directors expressed a range of views. Some said the community-funded facility should be made more usable and that allowing limited concessions could increase rentals. Other members worried about damage and the precedent for alcoholic beverage service in the auditorium. Director Edmond said he was "not in favor of" allowing food and beverages in the auditorium; Director Ford said the space should be used by the community. Board members asked staff to create procedural rules (for example, lidded cups, permitted food types, higher rental fees or deposits) and to track revenue and costs during the pilot.

After a motion and discussion, the board approved a summer pilot to allow food and beverages in the auditorium during a defined pilot window (district staff to implement pilot procedures and report back at the end of the pilot). Board members agreed on timing guidance as part of the pilot: the period will run from Memorial Day through Labor Day for 2025. The board also asked staff to include financial and custodial impact data in a post-pilot report and to include the item in the fall policy review.

The board confirmed that for high school League-sponsored athletic contests and events covered by the Minnesota State High School League rules, alcohol service remains prohibited.

Separately during the meeting there was an earlier motion to decline the request outright, but board members later made and approved a motion to authorize a time-limited pilot; staff will draft the vendor/renter procedures and any incremental fee schedule before summer rentals begin.