Parks staff seek short-term liquor-license extensions; Mesker Park Zoo asks to retain license for key events

Evansville City Parks Department staff on Jan. 22 described an administrative effort to transfer liquor licenses currently held by the parks department to facility managers and asked the board to note the need for short-term extensions during the transition. The discussion included a request from Mesker Park Zoo staff to keep the zoo's license in place for a Feb. 8 ticketed fundraiser and for ZOO Brew, a larger summer fundraiser.

Director Danielle Crook and department staff explained that several facility liquor permits tied to parks-operated venues — including the Victory Theater and Ford Center operations managed by VenuWorks under a contract with the Evansville Redevelopment Commission — are being transitioned to the venue operator. Crook said the department needs to execute a 90-day extension form with the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC) to avoid gaps while the operator applies for its own permits; she described the extension as an administrative bridging step rather than a permanent transfer.

Kristen Comer, director of advancement for Mesker Park Zoo, told the board the zoo relies on its liquor permit for an annual ticketed preview event on Feb. 8 that helps fund a multi-week exhibit and for ZOO Brew in June. Comer asked that the board sign the short extension to preserve those events while the parties complete license work. "We are sort of hanging in the balance right now," Comer said of the fundraiser timeline, and she asked staff to prioritize getting the disclosure or extension paperwork to the ATC so events can proceed as advertised.

Parks staff told the board the venue-management contract with VenuWorks is managed by the Evansville Redevelopment Commission and that the parks board is not a contractual party; staff said VenuWorks has an obligation under its contract to hold permits but historically had not been listed as the permittee. The board did not take a formal vote on a permanent transfer during the meeting; staff said they will connect Zoo advancement staff with corporation counsel and with ATC processes and will file necessary disclosure/extension materials.

Recording the distinction matters because retaining a license at a property can affect who may bring additional vendors into an event. Comer said some zoo events use multiple outside vendors and volunteers, and the zoo's staff wants to preserve flexibility to engage vendors for community events. Department staff characterized the immediate action as paperwork and coordination rather than a board-level transfer and said they expect to file either an extension or a new application in short order.