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Council advances Venue 1921: AV maintenance approved, alcohol-service ordinance discussed and vendor rules proposed
Summary
Council approved a four-year audiovisual maintenance/licensing package for Venue 1921 and discussed a draft ordinance to allow alcohol at the city-owned venue, including vendor vetting, TABC compliance, required server permits, security requirements and a preferred-vendor RFQ for bartenders.
The East Ridge City Council on Sept. 25 approved an additional four years of audiovisual maintenance and music licensing for the city’s new Venue 1921 and opened detailed discussion on whether and how to permit alcoholic beverages at the city-owned facility.
Parks and events staff presented a vendor proposal covering four years of maintenance ($13,555.91) and licensing for music ($2,030.12), totaling about $15,005.86; the council approved the maintenance resolution. Staff said the first year of maintenance is included in the purchase and this contract extends coverage beyond that initial period. Staff will obtain written confirmation from the vendor to align contract dates to the system’s installation date.
Separately, staff presented a draft ordinance to allow sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages on city-owned property specifically for Venue 1921. The draft ties authorization to written approval by the city manager or designee and allows council by resolution to impose conditions. Discussion focused on whether the draft should allow beer only or broader alcoholic beverages, how the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) special-occasion licensing and server-permit rules would be applied, and what enforcement should follow if a contracted vendor violates rules.
Miss Galls said the city plans an RFQ to build a preferred-vendor list of bartenders who meet TABC server-permit and background-check requirements and can provide certificates of insurance. City Attorney and staff noted that special-occasion licenses and server permits are issued by TABC and events must apply at least two weeks before. Council members emphasized requiring proof of TABC server permits, certificates of insurance, clearly stated enforcement (removal from the vendor list and fines), and police presence when alcohol is served. Staff said any event serving alcohol at Venue 1921 will require law-enforcement coverage and that the preferred-vendor list will be vetted and presented to council for approval.
Council asked staff to return a refined ordinance for first reading on Oct. 9, with clearer language on the types of alcoholic beverages permitted, enforcement mechanisms, and vendor requirements.
