OJAI : Council to Weigh Ban on Alcohol
Ojai officials will consider a ban on alcohol consumption in all public parks and on city sidewalks.
The City Council will discuss the request tonight.
Sheriff’s Lt. Larry Weimer said he is seeking the ban on alcohol because drinking by adults at Little League games has been a problem for years.
Weimer said several fights among rowdy fans and minor accidents involving drunk drivers prompted his request, along with continuing problems in enforcing a vague city law. The law prohibits drinking on public roads and in parking lots but does not mention sidewalks. One bleacher at Sarzotti Park actually occupies a sidewalk.
Weimer, who serves as the city’s police chief, wants the law to be clearer and to contain a section making it illegal to drink alcohol in any city park without a special permit. Event sponsors would apply to the city to obtain a permit.
City Manager Andy Belknap is recommending that the matter be referred to the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission for further review and public hearings.
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