City staff outline steps to apply for expanded outdoor alcohol service; council backs pilot for Art & Wine Walk
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Summary
Staff outlined Washington State’s temporary expanded outdoor-alcohol authorization — a $1,700 application with site maps and operating plans — and council agreed to pursue a limited trial (Art & Wine Walk) while monitoring police and public-works resource needs.
City staff told the Duvall council on Feb. 17 that the city can apply to the Washington State Liquor program for temporary authorization to expand outdoor alcohol service through Dec. 31, 2027, and staff recommended using the Art & Wine Walk as a controlled pilot.
City Administrator Cynthia McNabb reviewed the requirements: an application fee ("The fee to request authorization is $1,700"), a site map that specifies every parcel to be included, and a detailed operating plan for each participating licensee that describes barricade types, entry and exit points, staffing, litter removal and law-enforcement patrols. She said the program can cover either a one‑time event or an ongoing authorization through the end of 2027, but noted the city must complete public engagement and submit the outreach report to the Liquor Board by Sept. 1, 2026, to affect summer events.
Staff warned that the permit requires firm commitments from each business — including liquor-license numbers and barricade plans — and that the city must plan for police and public‑works overtime to staff events and provide litter control. The city has limited budget to support expanded events beyond what existing event funds cover; staff said the Art & Wine Walk already has $10,000 set aside that could help offset overtime.
Councilors asked whether the city could submit a single site plan and operation plan for the whole city; staff said the application must list every parcel and an operating plan for each licensee’s events, although staff can submit multiple operating plans over the two‑year period. Concerns about staffing, porta‑potties and the difficulty of planning for unscheduled activations (such as spontaneous bar crawls) led several councilors to favor starting small.
The council’s direction: members agreed to continue planning the Art & Wine Walk with the intent to pursue the limited authorization for that event as a pilot and to return to council with more detail if the logistics and business participation warrant a broader application. Staff emphasized the program can be rescinded if it proves problematic.
