by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
With Jacksonville up next to host the Super Bowl, City Council member Kevin Hyde is moving forward with legislation designed to promote responsible alcohol sales.
An early draft of the bill has been submitted by Mark Willingham, formerly of the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. Willingham, now a consultant who also serves as executive director for the Center for Tobacco and Alcohol Access Prevention, has observed similar concepts in other cities and met with Hyde last week to discuss possible local legislation.
Both serve on the Northeast Florida Safety Council.
“He has a lot of experience with this kind of issue,” said Hyde. “I value his opinion. There’s a lot to look at, but I’d like to see it further develop.”
“There’s not really a single motivating factor here,” said Willingham. “This is really just an opportunity for us to look at more responsible retailing in Jacksonville. And with the Super Bowl approaching, it made sense to raise our standards of safety, too.
“That will be a time when many businesses will be appealing to the City so they can extend their hours of operation. New standards may serve as kind of incentive for them.”
Focusing on “voluntary training” for bar and restaurant management so that a higher standard can be reached, Willingham said the proposal may serve as a “win/win situation for everyone.”
“It’s in a very early form, but what it asks retailers — management especially — is to voluntarily raise the bar so that we can create a safer environment where minors and also customers who are intoxicated are identified and not served.”
Willingham said temporary retailers, including cruise ships and non-profit groups, would also be eligible for training.
“This isn’t a costly option and no one has to do it, even though they probably should be already,” he said.
Hyde agreed, saying Willingham’s proposal was “viable” though still in a “conceptual stage.”
“We have a lot of issues to look at before anything is submitted and we would obviously need the support of the downtown businesses,” he said. “I’d first like to assemble all the parties who will be affected by this so we can talk about it, including those businesses, and others like the sheriff’s office and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
“I do think it’s worth exploring, however.”
Hyde has scheduled a meeting with Council member Suzanne Jenkins to discuss the idea. Much of Jenkins’ downtown district will be affected by Super Bowl activities, and Hyde said her input would be valuable.
Jenkins, who had not read the proposal as of late last week, said she was intrigued by the idea and wanted to discuss it further.
“As I understand it, other cities have a similar system in place that works,” she said. “There’s no need to reinvent the wheel here, and I look forward to sharing this concept with my colleagues.”