04/08/1987
•
PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD
MINUTES
Wednesday, April 8, 1987
A special meeting of the Parks and Recrention hoard wns held at the Clearwater ref
Bomber Stadium on Wednesday, April 8th, 1987, at 7:30 p.m. Members presont included
Mrs. Paula Doulton, Mr. lletbert Hayes, Mr. Mark Legue, Mrs. Normn Soukup, Mrs.
Jacquelyn Tobin and Co-Chairperson Charles Wood. Mr. Murrny Fuchs, Co-Chn,irperson
Elizabeth McMahon and Mr. Aorr Snoyenbos were unable to make the meeting. Mr. Ream
Wilson was also in attendance.
This special meeting was called to give the Board an opportunity to review a
request submitted by the Clearwater Bombers wherein the Bombers naked the City for
permission to sell beer at the Clearwater Bomber Stadium. Mr. Wilson distributed
to members a letter written by Mr. Ed Wright, President of the Clearwater Bomber
Boosters, which was addressed to Mayor Rita Garvey. The letter requested permission
from the City for the Bombers to sell beer at the Bomber Stadium and indicated that
the Bombers were seeking a primary sponsor for the team and this sponsor could quite
likely be a brewery.
Mr. Wilson gave some background regarding the Bombers and their previous re-
location from Jack Russell Stadium to the new facility. While at Jack Russell Stadium,
Mr. Wilson said the Bombers had advertising rights of the signs on the outfield wall,
were not required to pay rent to the City and did not have concession rights. Beer
was sold at the Stadium and the Bombers did receive a portion of this revenue from
the Stadium's concessionnaire. When the Bombers were moved to the new Stadium, they
were given full concession rights but there are no advertising signs on the outfield
fence. Also, they were not required to pay a rent to the City. Further, while at
the Stadium, Mr. Wilson said that the City gave the Bombers a $10,000 annual subsidy
to help finance their program. Because of the expense of the new facilities, con-
cession rights and an additional $20,000 supplement, the City Commission stopped the
$10,000 annual contribution at the time of the relocation.
Because of experiencing financial hardships while at the Stadium and at the new
facility, the Bombers have been seeking a primary sponsor for their program which
the City supports.
Regarding the request to sell beer at the new facility, Mr. Wilson stated that
his personal recommendation would be to deny the request. He said this recommenda-
tion was based on his feelings that alcoholic beverages should not be allowed in parks
and that if approved at the Bomber Stadium, the next step will be requests to have
alcctiolic beverages at other City facilities., Further, he said Bomber Stadium is
used by'youth softball and adult City leagues. Also, unlike the Stadium, he said
the Bomber field is immediately adjacent to four baseball fields currently used
each evening by youth baseball. Also, he questionsed whether or not the amount of
money to be received'from beer sales would be worth making the exception to the
City's ordinance. However,`Mr. Wilson said that if a decision is made to allow the
sale of beer at Bomber Stadium, it should be conditioned on the Bombers being re-
sponsible to keep the gate locked that separates Bomber Stadium from the youth base-
ball fields and that beer should be sold only during Bomber games and not during any
other activities at the Stadium.
„s Considerable discussion ensued among Board members regarding the request to
sell beer at the new Bomber Stadium. Mrs. Soukup said she had talked to numerous
Clearwater residents about the Bombers' request and litdicnted LlutL rill iif t.lwr{u
she talked to felt it should be approved. She said ahe originally wn+i al;nirint they
idea,,but after further consideration and !tearing from other ranitloiaii iihu fu(+lr+
the request should be approved. However, she said if approved, tho llomburit shriiild
be required to sell the beer in cups only and not cans or bottluii. Mrit. Tobitl
also said that she had talked to other residents and felt that Lhuy weire lit favor.
Mr. Legue felt that there was a difference between the Bombern' actlvlxy And other
adult softball in the City. Specifically, lie said tint nll other nofthnll nativiLies
are free and open to the public while a paid admission In required for unch and
every Bomber game. He feels it's like comparing apples and orangett and cult that
the request of the Bombers should be approved. Mrs. Soukup relternted tint :she
favors the request of the Bombers but emphasized that approvnL should not be ex-
tended to any other recreation programs. Site and other Board members felt Clint the
main difference in this request is that Bomber games do require n paid admission.
Mrs. Boulton said that she had talked to many people regarding tiie requant and, like
other Board members, she said all of them were in favor. Mr. Wood said that since
the Bombers were allowed to sell beer at Jack Russell Stadium and since individual
admissions are charged, they should be allowed to have beer at the new facility.
He feels the Bombers are sin asset to the City and that the City should support that
asset. Mr. Hayes agreed with other members about the paid admissions and felt the
Bombers' request should be approved.
Mrs. Tobin made a motion to recommend to the City Commission that the Bombers'
request to sell beer at Bomber Stadium be approved subject to the following con-
ditions.
1) Beer must be sold only for Clearwater Bomber games and not for any other
activities conducted at the Stadium.
2) The Bombers must comply with all State laws governing the sale and con-
sumption of alcoholic beverages, specifically the careful monitoring of
f.1 the age of purchasers.
3) The Bombers should be responsible for assuring that the fence is locked
that separates Bomber Stadium from the youth baseball fields.
4) The Bombers must secure the beer at all times so that it is not available
to unauthorized people.
5) Beer must be sold in paper cups rather than cane or bottles.
6) The Bombers should not be allowed to instal.l any advertising signs for
beer on the building,.fences or other apparatus within the Stadium. Any
advertising signs for the beer should be contained within the concession
stand itself.
7) The Bombers should be responsible for policing the Stadium area following
each game to remove all litter and debris.
This motion was seconded and passed. Discussion ensued following the approval
of the motion and all members felt that this request is considered on its individual
merit and does not extend to other recreation programs or facilities. Members
wanted to be kept abreast of any further changes that might be suggested to the
City's ordinance on the consumption and sale of alcoholic beverages.
There being no further business before the Board, the meeting adjourned at
8:35 p.m. rt
' 4