La Crosse Tribune: City council accepts alcohol task force's report

The La Crosse Common Council on Thursday unanimously accepted a report and recommendations designed to deal with binge drinking in the city.

"We recognize that addressing these issues will not be easy ... and will require courage to move in a new direction," said Petra Roter, cochair of the city's alcohol task force. "This is not a temperance group. Our focus is on the misuse of alcohol."

The council's vote was to accept the report in concept and file, a move suggested by council member Audrey Kader, who said she wasn't sure if the council was ready to accept every segment of the report.

The council had directed Mayor John Medinger to form the Task Force to Review Alcohol Ordinances, Infrastructure of Riverside Park and Communities Attitudes after University of Wisconsin-La Crosse student Jared Dion drowned in the Mississippi River off Riverside Park last April.

After six months of work, the 15-member task force presented recommendations on everything from keg registration to increased police patrols of house parties. The plan focuses on education, enforcement and environment.

At a hearing on the task force report Thursday, several speakers, including Lee Rasch, president of Western Wisconsin Technical College, said they supported the panel's recommendations.

"This is an opportunity to address a situation where perhaps we are more tolerant of high-risk drinking than other communities," Rasch said. "I am not talking of a prohibition, but of high-risk drinking. We cannot expect an overnight solution ... but that we take these steps to be better, healthier and happier."

The La Crosse City/County Tavern League, however, has concerns about some aspects of the report, though president Jeff Woodruff said the league respects the task force's work and is "not afraid of change."

Keg registration is an important part of the recommendations because many people are drunk before they come downtown, said Don Padesky, owner of the Casino tavern.

Medinger urged passage, saying he was embarrassed for the community because Oktoberfest is changing its parade hours to decrease harassment of bands and other parade participants by drunken spectators.

Council member Bruce Ranis, however, criticized the report for not considering personal responsibility. But Andy Monfre, who served on the task force, said that personal responsibility was a major concern, and that is why education is one of the recommendations.

The recommendations also include suggestions on which agencies should be responsible, timelines and funding possibilities.

In addition, the council passed a resolution establishing an oversight committee to monitor progress on the recommendations.