Galleries cited for serving alcohol are in the clear, Laguna officials say
Laguna Beach officials said the Orange County district attorney’s office will clear citations issued to seven businesses in the city, including five art galleries, during last month’s First Thursdays Art Walk.
Undercover officers from the Laguna Beach Police Department and the state’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control cited businesses for serving alcohol without a license during Art Walk on Nov. 3, prompting an outcry from some gallery owners and other proprietors who said they had no warning of a crackdown.
Some gallery owners have offered complimentary wine and beer during Art Walk for more than a decade. Art Walk is a monthly event when gallery owners open their doors to guests from 6 to 9 p.m. Festivities can include musical performances and new exhibits.
A woman who answered the phone at the D.A.’s office referred questions to Laguna Beach police. Susan Kang Schroeder, the office’s chief of staff, said she was looking into the matter.
“The best resolution to the citations is to educate and inform and allow businesses to comply [with laws],” Laguna Beach Police Chief Laura Farinella said Thursday in explaining the city’s rationale backing down from prosecution.
“Let’s first educate before we say ‘boom,’” she said. “We never told [all of the gallery owners] about the change. That’s not how we want to address a long-standing issue.”
Pam Panattoni, president of Laguna North Gallery, a cooperative of 13 members who deal in oil, pastel and water color paintings, said she heard about citations being cleared but had not seen an official letter from the D.A.’s office.
“If that is so, it is a huge relief,” Panattoni said, adding that the cooperative must still pay legal fees for the attorney who had agreed to represent the one member who was cited.
The city acknowledged in a news release that it did not do an effective job of informing owners about related rules.
“While some notices were provided to participating businesses, they clearly did not convey the necessary information to the right people and, unfortunately, citations were issued that exceeded the intent of the cooperative effort to gain compliance with all applicable laws,” the release said.
All seven citations were considered criminal misdemeanors, meaning they could have resulted in a maximum $1,000 fine, up to one year in jail or both, police said.
Other concerns surrounding Art Walk have surfaced, including complaints about amplified music or outside speakers, drinking in public, intoxicated people and displays creeping onto sidewalks.
Police sent a letter to some businesses noting these issues, and held a late October meeting with 25 gallery owners and First Thursdays Art Walk board members.
But Torrey Cook, vice president of the Art Walk board, told the Daily Pilot last week the meeting was sparsely attended, and she believes that is why word of the Police Department’s plan did not reach more people.
Police will work with the Art Walk board in the coming months to “establish an appropriate program that respects the purpose of the event while ensuring that a safe and legal environment is provided for all,” according to the release. “The city values the Art Walk program and how it celebrates our community’s heritage and culture.”
Twitter: @AldertonBryce
