HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-14-2008 Community Alcohol Coalition MinutesMinutes: October 14, 2008 Community Alcohol Coalition
Members Present: Jenny Haubenreiser, Becky Franks, Glenn Puffer, Eris Miller, Donna LaRue
Discussion Items
There was much confusion over the meeting room. The City had moved to the new location;
however, when we went there we were told we had not been assigned a meeting place. The
group ended up meeting at Rocky Mountain Roasting Co. Jenny will follow up with the City
office to make sure we are provided a room for future meetings.
The group spent the entirety of the meeting going through a `model' draft of a social host
ordinance. This was created by MADD National for use by communities around the country.
The draft also included a list of principles related to the policy that help illuminate the purpose of
the ordinance. These should be used to both educate decision-makers as well as the public when
advocating for the policy.
The group determined that the model draft ordinance is more thorough than the Helena
ordinance. CAC members present acknowledged that the ordinance should communicate both
the law and the intent of the law - in this case, the danger associated with underage drinking and
the fact that much of the alcohol-related harm that impacts youth occurs in private residences.
While no one law will prevent alcohol-related harm, this particular ordinance, in addition to the
nuisance party ordinance, will provide more tools for local law enforcement to intervene and
reduce youth access to alcohol (a known prevention standard). The U.S. Surgeon General's guide
also advocates for these types of laws within campus communities.
It was determined that "fraternity and sorority houses" should be included in the list of "other
private property," meaning students holding parties within Greek houses could be considered
social hosts. Campus residence life buildings would not be included.
Jenny will circulate the draft ordinance via email to CAC members not present at the meeting to
elicit additional comments. She will then forward this to the City Attorney's office. It is
unknown how long this will take to be reviewed by the attorneys, but Susan W. did indicate to
Jenny that they are expecting this.
The group briefly discussed an advocacy plan to assist the passage of the ordinance. Helena did a
good job with this and Jenny will investigate who all they included. Glenn agreed to talk to
student leadership about advocating for this since they made a statement about supporting
community efforts during the Surgeon General's visit.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:30. The next meeting will be on November 12`h at 4 p.m.