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Colfax council introduces downtown "entertainment zone" ordinance with changes after hearing
Summary
The Colfax City Council voted to introduce an ordinance creating a temporary downtown entertainment zone for city‑sanctioned events, permitting controlled, wristbanded consumption of limited-size alcoholic beverages in the public right-of-way during permitted events; council asked staff to refine hours, boundary maps and insurance requirements for second reading.
Kathy Pease, a city staff presenter, told the council the proposed ordinance would add Chapter 12.28 to the Colfax Municipal Code to authorize an entertainment zone during city‑sanctioned special events in the downtown historic district. “It authorizes cities to establish an entertainment zone where patrons are able to consume alcohol purchased from local bars and restaurants on public streets, sidewalks, and rights‑of‑way during permitted events,” she said.
The ordinance, drafted following state Senate Bill 969, would limit on‑street consumption to beer (12 ounces), wine (5 ounces) and mixed drinks (12 ounces) served in city‑approved non‑glass containers and to adults 21 and older verified by wristbands. Pease said the city found the adoption would be exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act.
Several downtown business representatives supported the proposal, saying it helps attract shoppers and keeps visitors downtown. “There’s something cool about keeping people downtown, being able to order a glass of wine and go stroll the shops,” Erin Newington of the Historic Colfax Downtown Association said.
Residents and some council members raised safety concerns about open alcohol in family events and asked how the city would separate children’s areas, require event insurance and limit hours. A resident, Renee, said of mixed crowds and children, “It’s not safe,” and asked how organizers would provide onsite restrooms and supervision.
Councilmembers debated specific language and operational controls. They asked staff to clarify how events qualify for the entertainment zone, to mandate liability insurance in event applications and to add a map showing permitted boundaries. The council removed fixed day‑of‑week language and agreed to give staff or the city manager more discretion to set event hours on a permit‑by‑permit basis while keeping a typical 10 a.m.–10 p.m. public cutoff tied to noise rules and a suggested stop‑of‑service earlier in the evening.
By motion, council members approved introduction of the ordinance with the directed changes and instructed staff to return the ordinance for a second reading on May 27. The vote to introduce the ordinance was passed on voice vote.
