Officially presented to the Cortez City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 12, city attorney Mike Green replied to several concerns raised in regard to the three-page draft ordinance, including underage alcohol consumption, limiting the service to specific days and times and security issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s totally discretionary,\u201d Green told council members in attempt to alleviate fears. \u201cThere\u2019s no right to get an outdoor license.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the ordinance, downtown business owners would be permitted to apply for a license from the city, which would grant permission to serve both food and alcohol on city sidewalks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s only a lease to the sidewalk,\u201d Green reiterated. \u201cThat\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n
To obtain the annual license, Green explained that business owners would be required to update their liquor license to include the outdoor space. If the city determined that a business violated any laws, then the establishment\u2019s liquor license could be in jeopardy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a revocable license,\u201d added city manager Shane Hale.<\/p>\n
Mayor Karen Sheek and council members Ty Keel and Orly Lucero publicly voiced support for the draft ordinance. The council was in consensus to move forward, agreeing to have an official first reading of the ordinance at their next public meeting on Jan. 26.<\/p>\n
The proposed ordinance would be subject to a public hearing before final approval.<\/p>\n
Municipal fees for the annual license have yet to be determined. In Telluride, businesses pay up to $6 per square foot in addition to application fees to provide outdoor dining.<\/p>\n
KSJD director Jeff Pope initially approached the city with the idea, requesting the city to draft an ordinance. Pope didn\u2019t attend Tuesday\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n
It remains unsure how many businesses would apply for an outdoor dining license, and it\u2019s unknown if the Colorado Department of Transportation would approve Main Street frontage business to apply. The discretionary outdoor dining licenses would also be limited to businesses that could maintain a minimum of four feet of sidewalk space for pedestrian traffic, meaning those most likely to be eligible would have access to a side street.<\/p>\n
If granted an outdoor dining license, business would be required to install semi-permanent barricades and obtain appropriate insurance coverage. Stipulations could also be added to future liquor license applications to ensure security concerns.<\/p>\n
Green said the city\u2019s current open container law would also have to be modified to allow for alcohol consumption within the outdoor barriers.<\/p>\n