Parks board pushes to legalize alcohol sales at golf course

Ralph Pokorny

Herald Tribune

Even though city ordinances prohibit the sale or consumption of beer at the city golf course, many golfers are believed to be drinking alcohol at the course regularly. It is also believed that this offense is often ignored. So, Wednesday evening the Nevada Parks Board decided to address the issue head-on. The board voted 5-1 to recommend that the city council amend the city code and permit the sale and consumption of beer at the Frank E. Peters Municipal Golf Course.

"It is being blatantly disregarded," Jim Novak, parks board president, said during the board meeting.

"We either need to amend the ordinance to make it legal out there or enforce the ordinance. If we make it legal, we'd be better off selling it, rather than letting them bring it in," he said.

"I agree, we ought to sell it," Frankie Davis, parks board member, said.

Dan Christensen said that if they strictly enforce the current ordinance they will lose some of the tournaments currently being held at the city course.

Whether the ordinance is changed or not, Novak said that he would not be drinking there, but it is not consistent to ignore the ordinance. He said that he held a softball tournament at Twin Lakes and when someone reported seeing one beer can the police came and questioned everyone about it.

"It was ridiculous," he said.

Norlene Hillier told that she did not think it would send a good message to the kids to make it legal, particularly because it is about the money it would make for the golf course.

"I'm open to enforcing the ordinance," Novak said.

Novak told the board that they needed to consider a two-part question.

"Should we allow it or not allow it and then do we sell it or not sell it?" he said.

"I just think if we're going to allow it, we should get the money," Novak said before the board voted.

Jim Novak, Dan Christensen, Marcy Pritchett, Frankie Davis and Shirley Ann Bastow, voted yes and Norlene Hillier voted no.

In other business Melissa Earl requested that the city consider changing the closing time for city parks from midnight to an earlier time, as well as requesting the city consider lowering the speed limit on the road into Radio Springs Park and putting up signs to notify drivers that children are present.

The board also approved four new organizations for the Adopt A Park Program: Wal-Mart, planting flowers at the entrance and the gazebo at Radio Springs Park; Free Will Baptist Church, Spring Street Park; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, pick up trash and other small projects at Walton Park and Cub Scout Pack 43, clean-up at Walton Park.