Council directs staff to refine draft 'use of town property' ordinance; consensus on alcohol served by licensed vendor only

The council reviewed a draft ordinance intended to govern the use of town-owned property, from small private picnics to large events such as food-truck gatherings and the new pavilion rentals.

Key points from the discussion:

• Small gatherings: The draft exempts small informal gatherings from the permit process unless exclusive use of a property is requested. Councilors emphasized that small events should not be overburdened with large insurance or application requirements.

• Alcohol and cannabis: After discussion of liability and public-safety concerns, councilors generally agreed to allow alcohol on town property only when served by a licensed vendor or organization; cannabis consumption was discussed as generally prohibited on town property by existing ordinance, and the draft treated cannabis consumption similar to alcohol for liability review. The solicitor noted psychotropic effects from ingested products factor into insurance/liability concerns.

• Political or civic groups: Councilors debated how to categorize political organizations. The working proposal was to rename fee/prioritization categories “community organization” rather than “nonprofit,” allowing political committees to be treated the same for priority purposes while keeping event-organizer discretion for themed events.

• Fees, deposits and insurance: Councilors discussed resident/nonresident fee tiers, refundable security deposits to cover damages or extra cleanup, and delegating insurance determinations to the recreation director in consultation with the town’s insurance carrier for discretionary small gatherings.

At the end of the discussion, councilors amended a motion to request staff to update the draft based on the meeting’s feedback; council approved the motion by roll call.

Staff will prepare a revised draft for review and likely public hearing scheduling.