The Mayor’s office staff writes a really good letter about admittance polices in the downtown bars . . . which are not necessarily limited to downtown any more. From last October. Fortunately, I think the mayor’s comments in the paper, the appearance on the ALRC and EOC agendas and the attention it got stopped it in some places, but not all.
February 1, 2012
Dear License Holder:
There have been recent public discussions regarding the admittance policies of various establishments in our City. The discussions have raised many issues relating to the values and expectations within our community. Based on these conversations, the City wants to explain the legal parameters and expectations for you as a license holder, and how the operation of your establishment relates to our community values. We also would like to extend an invitation to attend a special training session that will cover best practices for admittance policies and bar management.
We understand the very real concern you have about maintaining a safe environment for the patrons at your establishment and we appreciate the steps you have to take to achieve that goal. The point we would like to emphasize is that maintaining a safe environment and preventing discrimination are not competing values in our community.
Possessing an alcohol beverage license in the State of Wisconsin is a privilege; it is not a right. In Madison, action can be taken against your license if you are found in violation of any local ordinance. One of those governing ordinances is the Equal Opportunities Ordinance, which holds, as a public place of accommodation, you must ensure that every person has the “equal enjoyment of…facilities, advantages and accommodations…without discrimination or segregation…” [MGO Sec. 39.03(5)]. It is important to know that if a complaint is filed with the Madison Department of Civil Rights based on a particular admittance policy your establishment is employing, and that practice is found in violation of the Equal Opportunities Ordinance, that is potentially grounds for the Alcohol License Review Committee to take action against your license.
As a license holder, you have a right to require a valid form of identification and to further restrict entry under certain circumstances. According to State Statutes, an official identification card is not limited to a valid driver’s license or passport. If you choose to use other admittance policies, those policies must be applied uniformly. Even if such a policy is uniformly applied, there are certain policies that can be discriminatory in operation. Based on observations over the past several months, we strongly suggest considering the ramifications some admittance polices may carry.
This issue is of great importance to our City and can have a profound impact on our individual communities. To summarize our Equal Opportunities Ordinance: The denial of equal access intensifies group conflict, as well as undermines the foundations of our society and the general welfare of our community. Any such exclusion can subject those to embarrassment and further creates distress and unrest within the community. It is paramount to keep those values in mind throughout your business operations.
To that end, this conversation is one that cannot be completed through one letter. The City currently provides a free training for servers, managers, and owners through our Tavern Safety Training program. We will be providing a special training session that will cover admittance policies and best practices for establishment management. We strongly encourage you and your staff to attend this training session. See training session details below. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions or concerns you may have.
Tavern Safety Training Session
Date: Monday, February 20th
Time: 6:00pm
Location: Madison Senior Center, 330 W. Mifflin St.Sincerely,
Mark Woulf
Alcohol Policy Coordinator
Office of Mayor Paul R. Soglin
266-4611
