New alcohol and revenue sharing policies for events held at municipal facilities have been implemented by the township.
The province’s Alcohol and Gaming Commission recently approved Mapleton’s application for a permanent liquor license for six facilities: Maryborough Community Centre, PMD Arena, Moorefield ball diamonds, Drayton ball diamond, Moorefield Park pavilion and Centennial Park pavilion.
The new policy, effective Nov. 1, requires at least one township employee bartender for all alcohol-related events, including fundraisers, weddings and stag and does.
For events sponsored by chartered service clubs, the township will permit club members who are Smart Serve certified to serve as bartenders.
Under the new revenue sharing and donations policy, service clubs will share in the bar revenues if they provide bartenders for the event.
“This is a win-win for both the township and the service clubs,” stated CAO Patty Sinnamon in a report to council at the Oct. 7 meeting.
Councillor Neil Driscoll asked how this would affect service clubs that sometimes provide bartenders for events such as weddings in return for a donation to the club. Driscoll also asked how the policy would affect major events like last summer’s Mapleton Rodeo.
“Those are a couple of the things that we want to address,” said public works director Larry Lynch, who noted allowances for service clubs to be engaged to tend bar by third parties could be addressed in a future amendment to the policy.
“It should be clarified – I think we have to try to cover that off,” agreed Mayor Bruce Whale.
“The rodeo is a whole different scenario – we will sit down and work out a plan on something like that,” added Lynch.
For hall rental events where no cost-sharing arrangement is in place, township employees will manage and operate the bar and $3 per drink will be charged to the event sponsor, renter and/or ticket seller.
For fundraising events, where revenue sharing is in place, the policy takes a two-tiered approach. For most fundraising events, including stag and does, township employees will manage the bar and $4 per drink will be charged, with 80 cents per drink going to the fundraising organization.
However, when the event involves a service club or other organization designated under the policy, Mapleton will provide a cash donation of $1.80 per drink sold, to the fundraising organization.
In these cases the township will manage the bar by providing one “supervising bartender.” The service club or designated organization will be required to provide all additional bartenders, who must to be Smart Serve certified.
The policy recognizes seven organizations as eligible for the larger revenue sharing split: Drayton Kinsmen, Drayton Rotary, Maryborough Optimists, Maryborough Opti-Mrs., the Optimist Club of Alma, the Mapleton Arena eXpansion (MAX) Committee and the Palmerston Hospital Gala Committee.
Lynch noted the policy is based on a similar alcohol and revenue sharing policy that has been successfully applied in the Town of Minto for quite a few years.
At the Oct. 7 council meeting, Lynch noted the township had a short time frame to prepare for the Nov. 1 implementation of the policy. However, he pointed out all arena staff have been trained, in addition to some other staff. A total of 12 staff members have received the necessary training and he expects a total of 15 trained staff will be in place.
“A lot of service clubs already have members trained,” Lynch added.
A resolution to accept the alcohol and revenue sharing policies was approved by council, with no opposition. However council noted future amendments were anticipated to deal with some of the issues raised.
“There’s probably going to be some fine tuning,” said Whale.
