Riley County commissioners agreed to maintain the current alcoholic beverage policy for CiCo Park Thursday morning.
Riley County Extension director Jennifer Wilson, who spoke with county commissioners about the policy, said since the county has allowed alcohol during the Kaw Valley Rodeo in recent summers, other parties have been asking the county to broaden its allowance to other places in the park.
But Wilson told commissioners sales and consumption during the rodeo are heavily monitored.
“The primary reason I brought this to your attention was that time after time we do get requests and our standard answer has been, ‘No, alcohol is not allowed to be consumed or consumed on the fairground’s property,” Wilson said. “However, people do know we allow that during the rodeo, however that’s a confined space during the rodeo, but since people know that that happens, they want to know why they’d can’t do it as well.”
Wilson said she and county counselor Clancy Holeman have looked at the issue and the concern has been less control of sales and consumption.
“That is a fenced in area,” she said. “(The rodeo is) required to have security there to make sure that alcohol is not taken outside the rodeo grounds.
“They stop selling alcohol 30 minutes prior to the end of the rodeo, so they’ve got some processes in place to make that work for them.”
Wilson said the Riley County Fair Board has also been against broadening the policy.
“In discussing this issue with the fair board, they are not in favor of allowing the use and consumption of alcohol in or around Pottorf Hall,” she said. “Their belief being that that building was erected for youth purposes and that the people who have their names on the buildings would not be in favor of that at all.”
Commissioner Ron Wells said the current policy works.
“Since this has been a unique, one event per year situation, I’m happy with the way it’s gone,” he said. “I think it’s wonderful, and I would move to continue restricting (alcohol) use in CiCo Park.”
Commissioner Ben Wilson agreed. Commissioner Robert Boyd was absent.
