Alcohol allowed in some Brainerd parks starting June 14 | Shijiazhuang AgilePeak Ventures Co.,Ltd

BRAINERD — Alcohol will officially be allowed at Memorial Park softball games, Lum Park campsites and various other parks in Brainerd, beginning Wednesday, June 14.

City Council members voted 5-1 Monday, June 5, to approve an ordinance allowing the sale and consumption of alcohol in about half the city's parks.

After striking down a similar ordinance May 15 due to the lack of restrictions at organized youth events, council members called a special meeting May 24 to bring the issue back.

The originally proposed ordinance allowed nonprofits to apply for temporary on-sale liquor licenses for permitted events in all but Bane, Buster, Gustafson, Hitch-Wayne, Meadows, Mississippi River Landing, O’Brien, Trailside and Triangle Parks.Furthermore, park visitors would be allowed to bring in and consume their own beverages at any park except for Buster, Gustafson, Hitch-Wayne, Mississippi River Landing, Trailside and Triangle.

There was a caveat not allowing sales at scheduled youth events, but there was no provision prohibiting consumption at youth events, leading to four council members — Kara Terry, Jeff Czeczok, Kevin Stunek and Kelly Bevans — to vote against the measure.

The new proposed ordinance mirrors the first, with the exception of disallowing consumption at youth events. The new proposal also specifically allows consumption as a part of campsite rentals at Lum Park Campground.

Two residents previously spoke against the measure, saying parks should be for families, and the city does not need more places for people to drink.

City of Brainerd - Alcohol in parks by Theresa Bourke on Scribd

Under the current ordinance, limited on-sale licenses can be granted to professional baseball organizations and concession stand vendors at Memorial Park for alcohol to be consumed in vending structures and the spectator seating areas. The ordinance, however, does not allow for attendees to bring their own alcohol into the park during softball games, which city officials noted has been a common practice for years.

Lum Park Campground is another area officials say alcohol is likely consumed though not technically allowed.

Conversation on the issue began last year , as Parks Board members discussed the idea of allowing alcohol at concerts and other events in the amphitheater at Lyman P. White Park, which just opened along East River Road last weekend. At that time, city officials recognized the drinking that already happens in parks despite city laws, particularly in Memorial and Lum parks, and expressed interest in clarifying city code and updating it to match what's already happening in the city.

Council member Kara Terry, who is the director for Crow Wing County Community Services, has voiced concerns about the measure throughout the monthslong process, first saying she would not support a blanket allowance for alcohol allowed in all parks, leading to the exemptions in the ordinance.

"I want to thank the fellow council members for bearing with me during this whole evolution of this ordinance," Terry said Monday before noting concerns she still had.Terry noted statistics from the 2022 Minnesota Student Survey, which 1,037 Crow Wing County eighth, ninth and eleventh graders participated in last year.

The survey shows an uptick in alcohol use among ninth graders, a statistic Terry said had been decreasing before 2020. Among 11th graders, 12% of males reported using alcohol in the past 30 days, while 19% of females reported the same.

"Youth see alcohol as a social norm, and alcohol in the parks is a part of our social activity," Terry said. "And while I agree with Memorial Park, registered campground guests, events with approved permits should be allowable, overall alcohol at all parks is contributing to our social narrative, and that's not something I really want to promote."

Terry said she received thanks from many people — residents, parents, business leaders, people with lived experiences — for voting down the original proposal.

To further her concerns about the negative effects of alcohol, Terry told the council as of May 23 there were 757 adults in Crow Wing County either on probation or supervised released for driving while intoxicated offenses. She noted taxpayer dollars are used for that supervision.

Alcohol-related illnesses, motor vehicle crashes, treatment expenses, job losses and family impacts are other factors to take into consideration, too, she said.

"I am not saying that all people who drink have a problem — at all. I enjoy having a good beer from time to time as well," Terry said. "But those that do have a problem, that impacts individuals, families as well as the community as whole. So I will be voting no on this ordinance."

The rest of the council supported the ordinance on a vote of 5-1, with Gabe Johnson absent.

The ordinance will be published in the newspaper Wednesday, June 7 and take effect one week later.

THERESA BOURKE may be reached at [email protected] or 218-855-5860. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchTheresa .