Fiscal Note
This analysis was called for as part of the 2018 Adopted Operating Budget. Staff from Public Health and the Department of Finance are coordinating efforts to The Finance Director will carry out the analysis in partnership with relevant agencies. The project will be completed during the fall of 2018 spring of 2019.
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SUBSTITUTE - Acknowledging Directing the City of Madison Finance Director inter-disciplinary staff team tasked with analyzing to analyze alcohol outlet density, to identify issues related to excessive alcohol consumption that result in disproportionate calls for service, and to propose steps to address such problems to engage stakeholders and to report on the analysis to the Alcohol License Review Committee.
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WHEREAS, there is an increasing number of and concentration of bars, taverns, restaurants, and other establishments that serve alcohol in the City of Madison, particularly downtown Madison area; and,
WHEREAS, that national research provides evidence that links alcohol outlet density to various health and social harms; and,
WHEREAS, there is a common perception that certain areas of the City disproportionately consume City resources and therefore pull these resources away from other areas of the City; and,
WHEREAS, the City has not adopted a policy to deal with the problems caused by excessive consumption of alcohol, the density of bars and taverns, and the risk to Madison Police Department (MPD) officers and other persons in the areas with high numbers of bars, taverns, restaurants and other establishments that serve alcohol; and,
WHEREAS, the increasing number of calls to MPD for incidents in and around the downtown and other areas of the city with high numbers of alcohol serving establishments often means other areas of the City have fewer MPD officers available, especially on weekends when there may be a greater need for officers; and,
WHEREAS, studies have shown the health and social impacts of excessive consumption of alcohol extend beyond the users to others in the area impacted; and,
WHEREAS, the City needs to develop long term policies and solutions to the problems presented by the density of bars, taverns, restaurants and other places serving alcohol beverages; and,
WHEREAS, including stakeholders concerned with the success of the downtown and other areas of the city with high numbers of alcohol serving establishments provides the best opportunity for defining such policies; and,
WHEREAS, implementing policies focused on mitigating and solving problems associated with overconsumption of alcohol is crucial for a safe and healthy community,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that an inter-disciplinary staff team that has been created and charged the Finance Director is directed to conduct an alcohol outlet density analysis, will and to complete a profile of alcohol outlet density in the City of Madison. Within areas of the City that are identified as being dense, the profile will examine if there are a disproportionate share of City services being delivered. The analysis will also include a comparison of the policies identified in MGO 28.127 with national best practices related to alcohol outlet density policies; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Staff Team will present its results to the Finance Director (a) may draw upon other City staff and Public Health staff as needed, (b) shall communicate the progress of the study to the Alcohol License Review Committee (ALRC) at least in January and April of 2019, (c) shall contact stakeholders identified in this resolution on a regular basis to seek input and to invite them to ALRC meetings, (d) will complete the analysis and present it for further discussion, recommendation and action at an ALRC meeting that will include the stakeholders, no later than May 31, 2019, and who will use the findings from this analysis as the basis to develop recommendations for policy changes and/or ordinance changes geared towards the possible reduction of alcohol outlet density and improved accountability. The Staff Team (e) will also offer recommendations pertaining to the sunset provision of MGO 28.127; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the staff team Finance Director will engage with the multisector stakeholders to inform its analysis. These stakeholders will include but will not be limited to; members from Downtown Madison Inc., members from the Business Improvement District, members of neighborhood associations in areas where the alcohol outlet density analysis shows a large number of alcohol outlets, members from the Downtown Coordinating Committee, members from the Public Safety Review Committee, members from the Alcohol License Review Committee, members designated by the UW Chancellor, members of the Dane County Tavern League, members designated by the Associated Students of Madison, and Alders; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the ALRC, the stakeholders and other interested persons may use the analysis to develop recommendations for policy changes, including ordinance changes, intended to reduce alcohol outlet density and improve accountability; and,
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Staff Team Finance Director will provide an update on its the work to the ALRC in January and April 2019 and will complete the report with any potential changes in policies and regulations by December 31, 2018 May 31, 2019.