Casper staff recommends extending downtown open-container hours; council keeps boundaries

City staff told Casper city council that the existing downtown open-container resolution, which took effect May 1, remains in place but that staff recommends changing the permitted hours to 11 a.m.–11 p.m. from the current 5 p.m.–10 p.m. window to better match downtown events.

Staff said they were not recommending expanding the open-container boundary because of public-safety and traffic concerns, and noted that all qualified liquor-license holders are currently inside the existing boundary. "We are recommending changing hours from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. to 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.," a staff presenter said during the briefing.

Councilors and downtown business representatives raised questions about boundary edges and enforcement. Downtown business representatives said the business association supported the hours change but worried about some storefronts near the boundary being excluded; staff explained license-holder wristbands and that the liquor-license holder is responsible for preventing off-premise consumption. One councilor asked how the rules would stop a person from using a clear cup to carry a drink outside a participating premises; staff replied that wristbands and the permit-holders responsibility to prevent take-out are part of compliance.

Public-safety staff told councilors expanding the boundary would increase traffic-management demands and call volume during the affected hours. After discussion, councilors signaled they were comfortable with the hour change while keeping the boundary the same; staff said they will prepare an updated resolution if the mayor agrees.

No formal roll-call vote on an ordinance was recorded at the work session; staff said the change would be drafted as an updated resolution for council consideration.

The next step: staff will prepare an updated resolution reflecting the hours change and return it to council for formal action.