Metro Council members Aaron Moak and Cleve Dunn, Jr. are co-sponsoring measures that would, respectively, repeal a COVID-era resolution pertaining to the sale and regulation of alcohol and reinstate an amended version of local alcohol ordinances.
“It’s basically bringing us in line with the rest of the state,” says Moak, who joined the council this year. “But we wanted to make sure that all the services that are available now can continue as we come back.”
Key changes to the original local ordinance include expanding the definition of “qualifying businesses” to include classified alcohol delivery agents or third-party delivery companies, like Waitr, GrubHub and UberEats. The changes would also define and set certain legal parameters for curbside delivery.
The proposed legislation creates a new, $1,500 permit that allows a Class A alcohol sales license holder to enter into an agreement with a third party to deliver beer and wine, should both the license holder and third party meet certain requirements. It also creates a separate $250 permit for Class A restaurants to deliver beer and wine through a third-party delivery company.
Meanwhile, curbside delivery is defined as “the delivery of food and alcoholic beverages in a sealed or factory-sealed container.” If the draft ordinance is adopted, curbside delivery must take place in a designated area, with only a licensed employee of the establishment able to deliver the drinks. Additionally, orders must be paid ahead of time and delivered directly to the person in the vehicle.
The twin motions come a couple of months after the parish attorney’s office scrapped from the council agenda an emergency resolution that would have effectively banned all curbside alcohol sales, upsetting bar owners who had come to rely on curbside business amid capacity restrictions.
But Moak believes his and Dunn’s proposals address those concerns.
|
|
|
“There’s some specifics in there about who can deliver and whatnot,” Moak says, “but it’s not anything people here aren’t already used to.”
The council will decide on the matter at its 4 p.m. meeting today, March 24. Read the full meeting agenda.
This story originally appeared in a March 23 edition of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.