City Beat: Alcohol proposed at Artsfest, more city events

Corndogs? Yes.

Live music, booths, framed photography, pottery, fine art and kids in strollers? Check.

Cold beer? Possibly.

Springfield City Council is considering a bill to allow alcohol consumption at Artsfest, what’s billed as the largest fine-arts festival in southwest Missouri, as well as a handful of other city festivals. The ordinance, which received a first reading at City Hall on April 18, would increase the number of events where alcohol is permitted and expand the area where alcoholic beverages can be consumed.

Currently, Springfield allows up to eight events per year where consumers can purchase and drink alcohol on city streets. The proposed ordinance would increase that number to 10 for 2016. Proposals for additional years would be required.

Generally, downtown events have welcomed alcohol around Park Central Square and north to Water Street on Boonville Avenue, south to McDaniel Street on South Avenue and along Park Central East and Park Central West. An exception for trolley bikes would remain in place under the proposal.

Three speakers supported the changes, and no speakers stood opposed.

Leslie Forrester, executive director of the Springfield Regional Arts Council, said the time is right to allow alcohol at the annual Artsfest, which is expected to draw 30,000 attendees and 136 artists this year. The festival, now in its 36th-year, runs the first weekend in May.

“Allowing alcohol on the street during the event will allow us to promote the event even further,” she said. “Alcohol on Artsfest weekend allows people to come and want to stay longer, to be a part of the festival longer, to purchase more art, which attracts more artists to the festival.”

Cora Scott, Springfield director of public information and civic engagement, said the city began allowing alcohol at festivals about a decade ago with the C-Street Jam before moving to five events around Park Central Square and then eight about three years ago.

“It’s been a very measured approach,” she said.

Scott said allowing alcohol in a controlled environment encourages tourism and economic development in Springfield by making the city more attractive to young professionals.

“On the economic development front, it’s talent attraction and what makes Springfield more attractive with larger markets,” she said.

Travis Liles, west region manager for Community Foundation of the Ozarks and a member of The Network – a group of young professionals with the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce – said passing the proposal reinforces city efforts to draw visitors from the area to the city’s urban core.

“Hosting large gathering downtown also allows the citizens to support a variety of locally owned businesses and demonstrates the value of the downtown development that the city and private sector have supported over the last decade,” Liles said.  

Animal shelter
Council unanimously passed a resolution annexing 22.84 acres of city-owned property in the 3100 block of South Kauffman Road for construction of an animal shelter and adoption facility.

The annexation was requested by the Springfield Greene-County Health Department and Environmental Services Department. The property was acquired by the city in 2003 as a buffer area for the Southwest Treatment Plant and the Public Works salt facility.

The approved resolution initiates the annexation, but the property would need to be rezoned.

The city does not have funding in place, according to Health Department spokeswoman Kathryn Wall. She said the target budget is $2.5-$3 million for a 10,000-14,000-square-foot facility.

Carryover funds
Council also considered a bill to allocate $3.2 million in carryover fiscal 2015 funds to several departments including Parks, Police and Fire.

Nearly half of the funds would support a grant to hire 11 new police officers, the installation of exhaust systems at older fire stations and a new ladder truck, according to the bill.

The city also would replace carpet at the Busch Municipal Building, and about $300,000 would be used for new lighting and security cameras at Founder’s Park.

The bill is slated to receive a second reading and vote at the May 2 meeting.