West Jordan may permit beer sales at park arena

Event-goers at West Jordan's rodeo arena soon may be able to enjoy the show with a beer in hand.

The West Jordan City Council has directed staff to draft an ordinance that would amend city code to allow for beer sales in the rodeo arena at Veterans Memorial Park, 1985 W. 7800 South.

The City Council is expected to vote on the issue Tuesday.

Councilwoman Melissa Johnson said the city has been trying to find other ways to utilize the rodeo arena, which sits empty for most of the year. A planning committee suggested the idea of allowing beer sales at the venue in an effort to attract concerts and other events there.

West Jordan currently prohibits the sale and consumption of alcohol at any of its city parks.

Even if the ordinance passes, Johnson said, it wouldn't be an open invitation for people to buy, sell and drink beer at the rodeo arena. Event organizers would have to go through a permitting process in order to sell beer.

"(The change to city code) wouldn't guarantee that beer can be sold at every event there," Johnson said. "It would be determined on an event-by-event basis."

The proposed change is being drafted following a split vote of the City Council at its last meeting. Mayor David Newton and Councilmen Rob Bennett and Kim Rolfe voted against even considering the issue.

Newton said he's leery of changing the ordinance because he doesn't want beer to be sold at city-sponsored events.

"I don't think we as a city should do that," he said. "If we have other activities where we rent out the rodeo arena and (event organizers) want to sell beer, then maybe I'm OK. I go back and forth on it."

Johnson said she's been contacted by several of her constituents about beers sales, with about a 2-to-1 ratio of people in favor of allowing it — as long as there are restrictions.

"There's an undercurrent that's pretty much unanimous to allow beer sales," she said. "But people don't think the city should be the one selling the beer, and I have a tendency to agree with that. I don't think the city should do the pouring."

Newton said if the majority of the City Council supports a change to the city code that allows for outside contractors to sell beer at events upon approval, he's "probably not going to fight them on it."

Still, the mayor isn't all that comfortable with the idea.

"I'm preaching to these sixth-graders every week at their DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) graduations about the dangers of alcohol," Newton said. "I wonder if we're not being a little hypocritical by promoting it."

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