Riverton looks to ban liquor sales to ‘habitually intoxicated’

By Katie Roenigk
Riverton Ranger
Via Wyoming News Exchange
 
RIVERTON — Riverton officials are considering an ordinance that would prohibit the sale of alcohol to “habitually intoxicated” people in the city.
Staff members estimate there would be about 20 people on the list of individuals barred from purchasing alcohol in Riverton. 
The proposed ordinance defines a person who is habitually intoxicated as someone who has been convicted of being under the influence of alcohol “to a degree that they were a danger to themselves or others” six or more times over the course of180 days. 
People also may voluntarily request that their names be added to the list, which would be distributed to liquor license holders in the city. 
Riverton Police Department chief Eric Murphy said his officers would engage in education and training for the liquor license holders, who would be expected to refrain from selling alcohol to the individuals on the list.
“Our intention, or desire … is simply to disrupt the supply line to the public intoxication problem we have here in Riverton,” he said during a Riverton City Council work session this month. 
Some alcohol vendors have expressed concern about the burden the new ordinance would put on them and their employees, who would be responsible for recognizing people on the list and refusing to sell to them, but city administrator Tony Tolstedt emphasized that the intent is to work cooperatively with liquor license holders to address the issue of substance abuse in Riverton. 
“I understand this creates challenges for some of our liquor license holders,” he said. “It’s not meant to be right out the gate laying a hammer down. … We want to work together.” 
However, he continued, business owners who do not comply with the ordinance may have their liquor licenses revoked – just as they could if they served alcohol to minors. 
Landing Lounge owner Diane Markworth said she felt liquor license holders were being “targeted” by the ordinance. 
She asked whether the city was looking at other strategies to curb public intoxication, suggesting harsher penalties for offenders, for example.
Mayor Lars Baker noted that the challenge with incarceration is that the city has to pay $75 per day to hold people in jail. 
“We are on our way to a jail bill for this fiscal year of $150,000,” he said.
Those who have been arrested for public intoxication may “sober up” while they are incarcerated, he continued, but when they are eventually released they often reoffend very quickly. 
He referenced one individual who had been arrested 41 times over the course of six months. 
“I think what we’re asking is for liquor dealers to help us on this and not to sell to these guys,” he said. “Try to stem that a little bit.” 
Markworth also wondered whether the city might impose similar penalties to businesses that sell mouthwash or other intoxicants to people with substance abuse problems. 
Murphy said the city’s Solutions Committee is looking into that issue as well. 
“We don’t think this is the one answer,” he said. “We hope this is one of many answers.” 
Councilman Sean Peterson commended the Solutions Committee for its proposal. 
“I’m glad we’re doing this,” he said. “I think it’s great we have intelligent people in the community trying to come together to make this work. I’m excited to see where it goes.” 
The committee includes representatives from the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes, liquor license holders, city staff and officials, and representatives from local homeless shelters and substance abuse treatment facilities. 
Tolstedt said the group would review the proposed ordinance, then make an official proposal to the city council during a regular meeting in the near future. 
Baker noted that the ordinance will come up three times before becoming law. 
“This isn’t something that’s just going to materialize tomorrow,” he said.