MONROE - Beer gardens on the Square have met more opposition, but not enough to stop them from happening.
At the Monroe City Council meeting Tuesday night, three aldermen voted against approving Monroe Youth Hockey Association's application for a temporary Class "B" fermented malt beverage license.
The request came in conjunction with an outdoor beer garden during the Chili Cook Off/Oktoberfest Oct. 4. The Chili Cook Off is a Monroe Main Street annual event.
Aldermen Chuck Koch, Jan Lefevre and Paul Hannes voted against the license application.
Also a member of the License Committee, Koch has remained an outspoken opponent of alcohol being served at events on the Square.
Koch claims the events have become "alcohol-driven."
"It's going too far with this one," Koch said at the committee meeting earlier Tuesday.
With only three members on the committee, Koch refused to second the motion made by Charles Schuringa.
Chairman Thurston Hanson made the second, "to get it to Council."
At council, Koch raised his concerns about beer gardens and alcohol being served at the Chili Cook Off, during the presentation of the special event permit for Monroe Main Street.
"It's just getting to be too common," Koch said. He said the fundraiser was for a youth group, and it "gives the kids a wrong signal." Koch said there had to be "better ways than selling alcohol" to raise funds.
The council unanimously passed the Monroe Main Street special event permit on a voice vote.
But when the Monroe Youth Hockey Association request came to the council with another request from St. Victor Parish for a temporary "Class B" fermented malt beverage and wine license, Alderman Jan Lefevre called for a division of the question.
St. Victor's permit, motioned for approval by Keith Ingwell and seconded by Dan Henke, passed on a 9-0 voice vote. Alderman Mark Coplien stated he was abstaining, because he is chairman of the parish council.
The permit is to be used in conjunction with its Fall Festival Oct. 4 in the St. Victor School building.
The Youth Hockey Association permit, motioned for approval by Thurston Hanson and seconded by Coplien, passed on a 7-3 voice vote.
The permit is to be used to sell beer only in a 100-foot by 50-foot roped-off area in the 1000 block of 17th Avenue. The Chili-Cook Off special event application indicates the beer garden will be on the inside lane.
During both the committee meeting and during council, Hanson and Coplien made arguments for the licenses to be approved.
Hanson presented the idea that "this is Monroe" and beer is a part of the city's culture and businesses. He also stated that the licenses have been allowed for other organizations, and unless problems comes in the future, the council needed to "give some other new places a chance."
Coplien said aldermen couldn't start arbitrarily denying such permits.
"This is our first year for trying it," he said. And unless, or until, there's a problem, "I can't see how we can't give them ample opportunity."
Monroe Main Street Executive Director Barb Nelson said what council members don't understand is the public is asking for the beer.
"It's not us (Monroe Main Street) asking for it," Nelson said. "People ask all the time, 'why don't you sell beer at the chili fest?' We can't by law sell it; so we let these organizations do it."
At the Monroe City Council meeting Tuesday night, three aldermen voted against approving Monroe Youth Hockey Association's application for a temporary Class "B" fermented malt beverage license.
The request came in conjunction with an outdoor beer garden during the Chili Cook Off/Oktoberfest Oct. 4. The Chili Cook Off is a Monroe Main Street annual event.
Aldermen Chuck Koch, Jan Lefevre and Paul Hannes voted against the license application.
Also a member of the License Committee, Koch has remained an outspoken opponent of alcohol being served at events on the Square.
Koch claims the events have become "alcohol-driven."
"It's going too far with this one," Koch said at the committee meeting earlier Tuesday.
With only three members on the committee, Koch refused to second the motion made by Charles Schuringa.
Chairman Thurston Hanson made the second, "to get it to Council."
At council, Koch raised his concerns about beer gardens and alcohol being served at the Chili Cook Off, during the presentation of the special event permit for Monroe Main Street.
"It's just getting to be too common," Koch said. He said the fundraiser was for a youth group, and it "gives the kids a wrong signal." Koch said there had to be "better ways than selling alcohol" to raise funds.
The council unanimously passed the Monroe Main Street special event permit on a voice vote.
But when the Monroe Youth Hockey Association request came to the council with another request from St. Victor Parish for a temporary "Class B" fermented malt beverage and wine license, Alderman Jan Lefevre called for a division of the question.
St. Victor's permit, motioned for approval by Keith Ingwell and seconded by Dan Henke, passed on a 9-0 voice vote. Alderman Mark Coplien stated he was abstaining, because he is chairman of the parish council.
The permit is to be used in conjunction with its Fall Festival Oct. 4 in the St. Victor School building.
The Youth Hockey Association permit, motioned for approval by Thurston Hanson and seconded by Coplien, passed on a 7-3 voice vote.
The permit is to be used to sell beer only in a 100-foot by 50-foot roped-off area in the 1000 block of 17th Avenue. The Chili-Cook Off special event application indicates the beer garden will be on the inside lane.
During both the committee meeting and during council, Hanson and Coplien made arguments for the licenses to be approved.
Hanson presented the idea that "this is Monroe" and beer is a part of the city's culture and businesses. He also stated that the licenses have been allowed for other organizations, and unless problems comes in the future, the council needed to "give some other new places a chance."
Coplien said aldermen couldn't start arbitrarily denying such permits.
"This is our first year for trying it," he said. And unless, or until, there's a problem, "I can't see how we can't give them ample opportunity."
Monroe Main Street Executive Director Barb Nelson said what council members don't understand is the public is asking for the beer.
"It's not us (Monroe Main Street) asking for it," Nelson said. "People ask all the time, 'why don't you sell beer at the chili fest?' We can't by law sell it; so we let these organizations do it."