Council considers lifting cap on event liquor permits 

Springfield City Council is considering allowing more events that include alcohol downtown and on Commercial Street. 

Council held the first reading and public hearing last night on a measure to change the section of city code that currently limits permitted events to 12 per year. If the measure passes, there will be no limit on permitted events allowing alcohol. 

Cora Scott, the city’s director of public information and civic engagement, reported the city averages about 150 events per year. 

“That’s helping create a vibrancy across our community in various settings,” she said. 

For the past decade, the code has allowed alcohol service at permitted events within designated, controlled zones. This includes festivals like Artsfest and the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival, Scott said. 

“This ordinance now proposes to remove that cap, enabling more flexibility to support Springfield’s growing calendar of community events while ensuring community safety,” she said. 

She gave the example of a Springfield community improvement district that has planned a summer concert series at Park Central Square on Saturday nights.  

City manager approval would be required for each request for alcohol service, and existing safety and oversight measures would be maintained. Alcohol could be served only in designated zones, with service restricted to 16-ounce paper, plastic or aluminum cups for no more than 12 hours per day and no longer than three days in a week. 

Wine would be limited to 14% alcohol by weight with other beverages limited to 5%. All event sponsors must provide proof of liquor liability and general liability insurance and sign a hold harmless agreement with the city. They must also submit a safety plan with details on preventing minors from purchasing alcohol. 

“Lifting the cap supports our greater economic activity downtown and on Commercial Street, more frequent diverse cultural events driven by community partners and a proven system that’s already working safely and responsibly,” Scott said. 

Councilmember Craig Hosmer raised the question of liquor liability insurance and why nonprofits must have it – Scott said $1 million in coverage would be required – but bars do not. 

“It does seem like if you’ve got a not-for-profit … that we require them to have a $1 million liability policy, but we have bars in the city of Springfield that are operating that are for-profit and don’t have any liquor liability at all,” he said. 

He added that they should have liquor liability, but bars should be treated the same. 

The president of the Downtown Springfield Community Improvement District, J. Chris Ball, spoke in favor of the measure, noting only two of the weekly Live from Downtown concert series included liquor service because it had to take what permits remained available. 

Rachel Munday, a member of the Downtown Springfield Association Board of Directors, also spoke in favor of the measure, saying the issue is about quality of place. 

“It’s about creating the type of environment where a company executive wants to move their family or a college graduate wants to stay after getting their degree,” she said. 

A vote is scheduled on the measure for July 28. 

Other meeting highlights: 

• Council held the first readings of five separate measures to rezone an area in south Springfield to government and institutional use at the request of Mercy Springfield Communities. The measures total 110 acres. Ricky Haase of Olsson Inc., representing Mercy, told council the health system has no intentions of selling or immediate intentions of developing the property until they get the funding sources worked out. He said he would be back in front of council with a platting proposal if Mercy does decide to develop the properties. The largest plot in the group is a 47-acre parcel at 6217 S. Southwood Ave., in the area of Mercy Orthopedic Hospital, just off U.S. Route 65.
• The developer of the proposed Hidden Gem Estates, Terri Herman, confirmed to Springfield Business Journal that a council vote to approve a preliminary plat was not what she filed and not what she wanted for the subdivision, and because of this, she is not going to proceed. The amendment would have provided 12 days of access via a gated road to an ancestral burial site for the Doran family. Herman said she did not want to elaborate on her plans at this time but would update SBJ when she has ironed out the details.