SHELBURNE — The Selectboard is considering changing the town bylaws to ban alcohol from town-owned properties without a special permit, following an application from Floodwater Brewing Co. and the Memorial Hall Association to serve alcoholic beverages during a special event at the Shelburne Falls Theater at Memorial Hall.
During the board’s meeting on Monday, Chair Rick LaPierre told members that while there is no official policy or ban on alcohol being served at town properties, it’s never been done, as far as he or Town Administrator Terry Narkewicz can recall. He suggested the board decline the application from Floodwater Brewing Co. to serve alcohol on the property in February as part of a fundraiser for Memorial Hall.
“Historically, in the 30-plus years of Terry’s service to the town, she recalls no alcohol being used,” LaPierre said. “I definitely don’t want to open up Pandora’s Box and allow it in this case.”
LaPierre said Narkewicz had reached out to several nearby towns, which advised her that they do not allow alcohol on their municipal properties.
“This is no reflection on Zack [Livingston] and Floodwater, because they’re awesome people, but as a precedent, if we had a precedent, it would be to not allow it,” LaPierre said. “I don’t want to open the door to setting a new one without bringing it to the Town Meeting to amend our bylaw to specifically restrict alcoholic beverages from municipal property and buildings.”
Board member Andrew Baker said that since there is no policy, the board can review applications for event permits on a case-by-case basis, as it usually does with requests to use Town Hall. He added that the Memorial Hall Association has had events that began at Town Hall, then went to after-parties at restaurants that served alcohol.
“We could change that practice [of not allowing alcohol] from time to time, if we chose, because there’s nothing saying no,” Baker suggested, referring to there being no policy.
LaPierre said he would like to pursue a change to the town bylaw that explains where alcohol is and is not allowed in town, and to ban alcohol on town-owned properties. However, there could also be a special permit option so one-time events, like the proposed Floodwater Brewing Co. event, could have the option to use Town Hall.
“That would give us the opportunity to say, ‘This is a worthy cause, let’s do it,’ but we would be doing it under a legally, town-wide approved amendment to our bylaw,” LaPierre said.
Narkewicz added that the town’s insurance provider told her that if the town were to allow alcohol on its properties, any lessee would have to add the town of Shelburne as an additionally insured party on their insurance policy for the event.
The board ultimately voted 2-1 not to approve the event application. LaPierre said he would like to pursue a bylaw change for Annual Town Meeting in the spring.