Las Vegas parks set new rules on glass containers, alcohol
Glass containers will be banned and alcohol use will fall under new restrictions in Las Vegas city parks starting Oct. 5, when changes to city code adopted Wednesday finally take effect.
Alcohol consumption will be allowed only for groups that reserve a picnic pavilion.
Currently, alcohol is banned only in park parking lots and children's playgrounds, and there are no restrictions on bringing glass bottles into parks.
Work on the new ordinance started about two years ago after problems at a park in Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian's Ward 1.
"We had problems at Baskin Park -- a child who was injured and a shooting there," Tarkanian said Friday. "Neighbors felt uncomfortable going to the park. There was more drinking and people leaving trash all around, and glass bottles seemed to be causing the injuries."
The new rules on alcohol consumption will expire on Oct. 1, 2010, unless the council makes them permanent. That was a compromise with council members who were uneasy with restricting alcohol use that severely.
"They didn't know if they wanted to go in that direction," Tarkanian said. "You don't want to keep people from having a party or a get-together, but you want to make sure it's not a rowdy thing."
Las Vegas has 67 public parks. Right now, 14 of them have reservable space, with 30 pavilions available.
To accommodate the new rules, there will be reservable space at 24 parks, with a total of 92 reservable spots.
There are fees and deposits for reserving space on a sliding scale depending on the size of the event and whether there are special considerations, such as a catered event or a DJ. Those are being studied for possible changes, a city spokesman said.
Not all of the kinks have been worked out.
For example, the city plans to institute same-day permitting for groups of 24 or less. Mayor Oscar Goodman said being able to get a permit easily is important.
"If I want to have a beer, which I would not want to have, of course ... and I decided to go to the park on a Sunday afternoon at two o'clock, is there going to be a phone number that I can call up and get permitted to have that beer?" asked Goodman, who prefers gin.
City staff said yes, but later said a person requesting a permit by phone needed a fax machine actually to receive the permit.
Issuing permits online is also being explored, but there's some concern that minors would end up getting the city's OK to drink.
"You're going to have an 18-year-old kid calling up and getting permission to take beer into a park," said Mayor Pro Tem Gary Reese.
Perhaps not, Councilman Steve Wolfson said. City marshals, who patrol the parks, can use the permit information to verify whether permit-holders are of age. And City Attorney Brad Jerbic said the permits could state that they're not valid for people under 21.
The kinks should be worked out before the new ordinance takes effect, Goodman said.
"We can figure that out in the meantime, before October," Goodman said. "If we can't, shame on us."
Similar restrictions are already in place for parks in Henderson, North Las Vegas and Clark County.
Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.
council makes them permanent. That was a compromise with council members who were uneasy with restricting alcohol use that severely.
"They didn't know if they wanted to go in that direction," Tarkanian said. "You don't want to keep people from having a party or a get-together, but you want to make sure it's not a rowdy thing."
Las Vegas has 67 public parks. Right now, 14 of them have reservable space, with 30 pavilions available.
To accommodate the new rules, there will be reservable space at 24 parks, with a total of 92 reservable spots.
There are fees and deposits for reserving space on a sliding scale depending on the size of the event and whether there are special considerations, such as a catered event or a DJ. Those are being studied for possible changes, a city spokesman said.
Not all of the kinks have been worked out.
For example, the city plans to institute same-day permitting for groups of 24 or less. Mayor Oscar Goodman said being able to get a permit easily is important.
"If I want to have a beer, which I would not want to have, of course ... and I decided to go to the park on a Sunday afternoon at two o'clock, is there going to be a phone number that I can call up and get permitted to have that beer?" asked Goodman, who prefers gin.
City staff said yes, but later said a person requesting a permit by phone needed a fax machine to actually receive the permit.
Issuing permits online is also being explored, but there's some concern that minors would end up getting the city's OK to drink.
"You're going to have an 18-year-old kid calling up and getting permission to take beer into a park," said Mayor Pro Tem Gary Reese.
Perhaps not, Councilman Steve Wolfson said. City marshals, who patrol the parks, can use the permit information to verify whether permit-holders are of age. And City Attorney Brad Jerbic said the permits could state that they're not valid for people under 21.
The kinks should be worked out before the new ordinance takes effect, Goodman said.
"We can figure that out in the meantime, before October," Goodman said. "If we can't, shame on us."
Similar restrictions are already in place for parks in Henderson, North Las Vegas and Clark County.
Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.
