GCRC still considering Dean Wiley beer sales

Feb. 28--Though it is still in the early stages, the Garden City Recreation Commission is discussing the possibility of alcohol sales at Deane Wiley Park during adult co-ed softball games.

The issue, which was first introduced a month ago but postponed until Monday's board meeting, came up because some co-ed softball participants already drink during games or in the parking lot before and after games.

GCRC superintendent Aaron Stewart said selling beer would be a way to regulate it as well as bring in revenue.

During the discussion, Stewart said cans of beer would be sold at the ball park's concession stand by employees 18 or older, which would also allow the pool of employees to be bigger. If alcohol were to be sold from a tap or keg, employees would have to be 21 or older to serve it.

An immediate concern from the board was people's behavior after drinking and the liability of selling alcohol.

Stewart said he personally believes that a person is going to "act like a fool" whether they drink or not in the environment of the softball fields, and that alcohol in their systems only creates a shorter fuse to trigger foolish behavior.

Stewart said the Rec's liability insurance for Deane Wiley could go up about $400 a year, which is relatively cheap.

Stewart said that a Rec in the Kansas City area began to sell alcohol at one of its ball fields for two nights a week and made nearly $300,000 in revenue. How much revenue the GCRC would bring in from alcohol sales is tough to determine, he said.

"We're talking revenue numbers, anywhere from hundreds of thousands or dollars, or it's going to be like $50," Stewart said. "I would say between $50 and $50,000 for what we're talking about doing and then if we make $100,000, then great we did it. I don't want to set expectations too high. I'd rather have them surprise us."

Stewart said another thing to consider is how to monitor alcohol consumption at the fields, adding that there would be a person at the gate making sure no one enters or leaves the ball park with alcohol. He noted that the field supervisor would be in charge of monitoring alcohol use of players and patrons.

"The idea is we have three or four people -- two at the concession stand, the field supervisor and somebody at the gate -- to make sure that everything is going to plan," Stewart said. "We'd have to uptick your staff a little bit because you're having to do a little bit more enforcement."

Currently, there is no gate keeper during softball games and that is a position that would be added, Stewart said.

To make sure no one under 21 is served, one possibility for monitoring would be to issue wristbands after purchasing a beer at the concession stand so there is a clear indication that the person that purchased a drink is of legal age, Stewart said.

"Ideally, I hope people would be responsible and we have some things in place to help ensure that," Stewart said. "If we have checking and monitoring, that's going to go a long way, especially if we can get the supervisors to be diligent about getting by the dugout and checking. My rule of thumb is if you ask them to leave and they don't, the next step is to call the PD and you can explain to them why you're drinking alcohol and you're underage, because we won't get in trouble if we report it."

Another idea was limiting the number of beers a person can purchase in one night.

All board members said they were more in favor than opposed to the idea and would like to see more information before making a decision.

Stewart said that if the board approved alcohol sales at Deane Wiley, the GCRC would apply for a license that would be submitted to the Garden City Commission and to the state for approval.

"We won't execute anything until we get your approval," Stewart told the board, adding that the start of alcohol sales would ideally be in the fall or spring 2018.

The board did not indicate when the proposal will be back on the agenda.

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