TO: Aurora City Council
FROM: Alex Voigt, Deputy Chief of Staff/Interim City Clerk
DATE: July 10, 2019
SUBJECT:title
A request to review and revise Chapter 6 of the City of Aurora Code of Ordinances entitled, "Alcoholic Liquor".
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PURPOSE:
The purpose of this memo is to initiate a discussion on the need for a comprehensive overview and future amendments to Chapter 6, which governs the service and sale of alcohol in the City of Aurora.
BACKGROUND:
Over the past several years, Chapter 6 has undergone a number of amendments. As recently as December, the City Council approved changes that included some general administrative clean up, matters related to criminal proceedings and removal of all of the fees. During this review period, staff determined Chapter 6 may benefit from more significant changes.
DISCUSSION:
Chapter 6 of the Code of Ordinances is central to the continued growth and ability of the city to attract economic development opportunities and support new businesses. It is in that vein that staff believes a renewed look at the entire chapter to see if improvements can be made.
Some specific areas of review that have been identified thus far are:
• Creating a review system for extra hour's requests, currently looking at a points system.
• Updating the application/renewal process to determine if there are areas that may be improved.
• Look at creating a new section that would establish "zones" for areas with a number of bars/restaurants/entertainment options.
• Reviewing all of the different license classifications. Currently, we have A - S and have several requests for new businesses that do not fit is any of the existing sections.
While this review may determine that specific areas of the code should remain as is, it is anticipated there will be significant changes for the RAP Committee to review and discuss.
Staff is anticipating a few phases of this process, with the anticipated completion date of January in order to have the new application process in place for renewals. Early phases may have new/adjusted classifications to accommodate specific business needs that will occur during the review.
The review team will consist of representatives from the following Departments/Divisions:
• Mayor's Office
• Legal Department
• City Clerk's Office
• Aurora Police Department
• Building & Permits
• Economic Development
• Planning & Zoning
IMPACT STATEMENT:
An updated Chapter 6 will allow the City of Aurora to remain competitive with neighboring communities and continue to attract new business opportunities.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is respectfully requested the RAP Committee take on the task of reviewing and potentially amending Chapter 6 of the City of Aurora Code of Ordinances entitled "Alcoholic Liquor".
cc: Rules, Administration and Procedures Committee