The City Council voted in favor of the change 4-1.
Downtown bar owners may have occasion to take a celebratory drink. The New Port Richey City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to give final approval to a city ordinance amendment that will permit customers to carry open containers of alcohol bought at a bar onto downtown city streets during special events Then, those patrons can consume their drinks in designated areas. Nonprofits and their vendors can already sell beer and wine in secured areas of public spaces during special events. Bar owners said at a meeting last year that their sales are being affected during these special events. City council members said last year that they were open to exploring changing the ordinance after bar owners said their sales were being affected by it during …
Despite presence of committee to work with nonprofits, some want 'town hall meeting' with organizers to find ways to cut $187,000 in city's annual subsidy without charging event planners.
A Special Events Advisory Committee is serving as a liaison between the New Port Richey City Council and local nonprofits as the council ponders a proposed "full-cost recovery" policy on events staged within the city. But several council members on Tuesday said the only way the city can trim the $187,000 it now expends annually to subsidize event costs -- while also retaining those events -- is to discuss options with organizers directly during a public "town hall" meeting. "It is important that we all come to the table and we all share," Councilwoman Judy DeBella Thomas said, suggesting the city and organizers meet in August. Unfortunately, since City Manager John Schneiger proposed the "full-cost recovery" policy in the spring, some …
Raymond Rossi
7:45 am on Tuesday, August 9, 2011
For 17 years I have lived 2 blocks from Main Street and all the events. The surrounding neighborhood takes a severe beating. Half of the trash from these "special" events gets thrown into our beautiful river and the other half ends up in our front lawns. I have removed people urinating and even 1 drunk woman defecating in my yard. I have resulted to renting a port-o-potty and placing it and … more ›