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Council tables proposed ordinance restricting alcohol in some city parks after wide public debate
Summary
After extensive public comment from downtown organizations, bar owners and residents, the council tabled an ordinance that would restrict alcoholic beverages in city parks so staff can rework exemptions and definitions.
A proposed ordinance to restrict alcoholic beverages in city parks prompted more than an hour of public comment on June 24, after which the Hammond City Council voted to table the measure for further work.
The proposal drew opposition from downtown nonprofit and business leaders who said the ordinance as written would hamper fundraising events and cultural programming in downtown parks. Melissa Griffin, executive director of the Hammond Regional Arts Center, asked councilmembers to clarify whether exemptions would apply to small urban parks and to the pavilion then under construction; council staff and council members said the pavilion and Railroad Park would be considered differently and that the ordinance language could be revised to make exemptions explicit.
Downtown Development District representatives and downtown businesses asked that parks within the Hammond Downtown Development District (including Kate Square Park, Railroad Park and Morrison Alley) be exempted for organized civic and nonprofit events that undergo prior application and approval. Several downtown bar owners and licensed caterers said regulated vendor sales with ID checks and security had been used successfully at music and fundraising events, and they asked for a permitting or licensing approach rather than a citywide prohibition.
Other residents and council members voiced concerns about alcohol and drug use in some neighborhood parks and supported stronger enforcement measures and targeted restrictions. Law-enforcement representatives explained current enforcement tools and raised questions about the ordinance's penalty provisions and whether the stated penalties would be practical for policing and prosecution.
After the public comment, Councilman Andrews moved to table the item for further refinement; the motion to table passed on a roll call. Council members and staff said they will revisit the ordinance language to clarify which public spaces are included and how to allow permitted nonprofit and civic uses while addressing public-safety concerns.
