In the wake of widespread problems at the last Picnic Day, the Davis Downtown Business Association is the latest organization to attempt to take the lead in helping to avoid future problems.
They have developed a “Community Covenant” to adopt “responsible hospitality practices,” promoting a healthy and safe Picnic Day environment in Downtown Davis.
“As a community shopping, dining and entertainment destination, Downtown Davis needs to take responsibility to be a good neighbor, do the right thing and offer a safe and attractive ambiance for Picnic Day visitors,” commented Joy Cohan, DDBA Director. “DDBA is aiming for 100% participation amongst its members who sell alcoholic beverages.”
The points include refraining from selling or serving alcoholic beverages before 11:00 a.m. on Picnic Day, ceasing to use price promotions or specials on drinks that encourage over-consumption and intoxication and providing responsible beverage service training to all employees who serve and sell alcohol at businesses.
“Because of the nature of products and services provided as part of hospitality, hosts and guests share a responsibility in protecting the health, safety and well-being of the community. This is especially true regarding the service and consumption of beer, wine, spirits and other beverages containing alcohol,” the covenant reads.
It continues, “We as hosts, both commercial and social, recognize the importance of responsible hospitality practices and recognize the right of people to chose to drink or not drink beverages containing alcohol. It is for this reason that we have adopted a sense of responsibility in how we serve our guests. By acknowledging the role of moderation, we recognize the distinction between the appropriate and inappropriate use of beverages containing alcohol.”
The thirteen points that businesses would agree to include:
- Refrain from selling or serving alcoholic beverages before 11:00 am.
- Refrain from the use of price promotions or specials on alcoholic beverages that encourage overconsumption and intoxication.
- Provide low alcohol and alcohol-free beverages, priced competitively with alcoholic beverages, whenever and wherever alcoholic beverages are sold or served.
- When possible, provide food when alcoholic beverages are sold or served, and encourage the
- consumption of these foods.
- Refrain from altering the seating and table plans for “regular business” before 10:00 p.m. both inside and on the patios of restaurants.
- Encourage the creation of an atmosphere that facilitates positive group social interaction and provides activities other than drinking alcohol. This includes proper lighting inside, in front, and in the parking areas of the establishment, and avoiding offensive posters or displays that promote alcohol consumption rather than on- or off-campus Picnic Day activities.
- Refrain from the use of alcohol-themed promotional flyers on utility poles and other public right of ways, in addition to the use of TV or other media to promote Picnic Day as a “party” or “drinking” event, or to advertise via these means more than one week prior to Picnic Day.
- Encourage increased awareness of the risks involved with the consumption of beverages containing alcohol related to activities and situations that might result in harm, injury or death.
- Provide adequate supervision of activities by those who are properly trained to maintain control of the environment, by providing additional staff to ensure orderly entrances and exits.
- Encourage responsible drinking by all guests who choose to consume alcoholic beverages, avoiding offers on drink specials that encourage quick or quantity drinking, i.e. shooters.
- Comply with all legal obligations for the appropriate service and consumption of beverages containing alcohol, including not permitting service to patrons who are underage, without valid I.D.’s or those who are obviously intoxicated.
- Promote and provide responsible beverage service training to all persons who serve and sell alcoholic beverages, including recognition of standard drink size and drink equivalency.
- Promote the safety of guests and others by encouraging the use of alternative transportation, including a designated driver program or arranging rides with taxi or friends.
“Picnic Day is a treasured community event that we want to see continued,” stated Christi Skibbins, the Chamber’s Executive Director. The Chamber values the cooperation of this working group, and we are eager to do what we can to ensure its success”
Advertisements publicizing the final list of bars, restaurants and retailers who choose to become a part of the covenant will run in local media by early April.
“Public perception may well be that businesses selling alcohol who don’t appear on the list are conspicuous by their absence,” Ms. Cohan noted. “DDBA firmly believes that the community will value the responsible decisions made by the establishments that sign on to the covenant, and respond favorably to those businesses throughout the rest of the year.”
According to a release from the DDBA, while Ms. Cohan concedes that the Community Covenant will not directly influence the many private parties where alcohol is served on Picnic Day both downtown and elsewhere in the city, she says that DDBA and the working group partners hope that gaining the compliance of retail sales outlets to the tenets of the covenant will have some impact upon the extent of alcohol-related problems stemming from such parties.
“Picnic Day is a long-cherished tradition in the Davis community,” said Mayor Don Saylor. “I’m pleased the local business leaders recognize this, and are making plans to preserve the family-oriented atmosphere and keep the celebration safe and enjoyable for all by promoting responsible behavior. This covenant is an excellent approach to allow businesses to self-manage without additional regulation from the city.”
As we noted numerous times following the last Picnic Day incident, there are really two parts to changing the culture. First, there needs to be a redirection of focus, away from the alcohol-centered focus of this event. It is easy to focus on things such as early morning alcohol sales and promotions, the question is always whether this will be enough.
The second issue may be more difficult, and that is to change the reasons for people coming to Picnic Day. There are a number of people from outside of the area who are clearly coming to party. And while these measures may address the first part, dealing with the second portion may remain a challenge.
—David M. Greenwald reporting
Pot will be the drug of the day , because it will be legal . Then alcohol will be added to the mix once they start selling it , making the day even worse than last year .
Actually when you take pot and alcohol together you just fall asleep.
I agree Avatar, you’re going to smell pot everywhere you go in Davis once it’s legalised. Picnic Day will be one big smokeout. I hope these lefties enjoy taking their children and grandchildren downtown with the stench of pot in the air.
Mellow Out Guys
I agree Avatar, you’re going to smell pot everywhere you go in Davis once it’s legalised. Picnic Day will be one big smokeout. I hope these lefties enjoy taking their children and grandchildren downtown with the stench of pot in the air.
“There goes the neighborhood.”
Do you think pot smoking will be treated differently than tobacco smoking, in terms of where you can do it?
The existing Davis smoking ordinance already prohibits marijuana smoking in public:
“34.01.01: (o)”Smoking” means inhaling, exhaling, burning or carrying any lighted cigarette, cigar, pipe, weed, plant or other combustible substance in any manner or in any form.”
All the same rules apply.
I was hoping the downtown businesses would take the lead and come up with a responsible action plan, and they have 🙂 It may not solve all the problems on Picnic Day, but it will be a good start. Then let’s see how Picnic Day plays out this next time, to determine next steps if any are necessary to keep Picnic Day safe for everyone.
“The existing Davis smoking ordinance already prohibits marijuana smoking in public:”
No it doesn’t, read the law, it prohibits some public areas but most of Davis is still open to smoking.
Don Shor: “The existing Davis smoking ordinance already prohibits marijuana smoking in public.”
The existing Davis smoking ordinance does not prohibit smoking “in public”. On the application for City Business Licenses, there is a summary of the Davis smoking ordinance, which states “…Smoking is prohibited in all business places accessible to the public, including but not limited to restaurants, bars, outdoor seating areas, stairways, elevators, public restrooms, and all reception and waiting areas. Smoking is prohibited within 20 feet of an area or building where smoking is prohibited. These areas include, but are not limited to entrances and exits to enclosed public areas, indoor and outdoor seating provided by eating establishments and bars….”
If marijuana smoking were to be legalized, from what I can discern of the current smoking ordinance, Picnic Day attenders are free to smoke pot in the middle of Central Park. Someone correct me if I am wrong in my legal analysis…
I stand corrected regarding public use. However, as to Prop 19:
“…persons age 21 and older: … May use marijuana in a non-public place such as a residence or a public establishment licensed for on site marijuana consumption.”
So Prop 19 doesn’t legalize public consumption of marijuana.
Elaine, the law states no smoking in “public gardens”. Now whether all of Central Park falls into that category I guess is up to interpetation.
You also stated that Smoking is prohibited within 20 feet of an area or building where smoking is prohibited. These areas include, but are not limited to entrances and exits to enclosed public areas, indoor and outdoor seating provided by eating establishments and bars….”
But people can still smoke in these areas because the law also states
“smoking, except while passing on the way to another destination, shall be prohibited within twenty feet of or close enough to the following areas for smoke to travel into an area or building, where smoking is prohibited”.
So if if you’re smoking while passing on the way to another destination it’s okay to pretty much smoke anywhere outside. Who’s going to determine if you’re passing or not?
Thanks Don, I see that now too, it’s forbidden for use in public. Being that Federal laws prohibit marijuana another question will be “If the federal government does not preempt the Golden State’s attempt to legalize marijuana, it would make their attack on Arizona’s immigration law look like a matter of political whimsy”.
“Actually when you take pot and alcohol together you just fall asleep.”
Great comment. I’m still chuckling.
[quote]But people can still smoke in these areas because the law also states
“smoking, except while passing on the way to another destination, shall be prohibited within twenty feet of or close enough to the following areas for smoke to travel into an area or building, where smoking is prohibited”. [/quote]
Hard to use a bong though.
What’s the King Kong size gorilla lurking in the room where this silly virtual debate is taking place? Big, Big Buck$. Mega bucks to be made off of the partiers…The money sickness is taking over family friendly good ol’ Davis.
TOTALLY BAN ALCOHOL SALES within Davis city limits on Picnic Day–liquor stores, too–and the sick partiers will have no reason to come to Davis. The businesses are simply contributing as it is to the delinquency of minors (mental age wise). Stop this scandalous practice and bring back family-friendly Davis on Picnic Day.
@ Briankenyon: it is illegal to totally ban alcohol sales…only realistic solutions can be considered & implemented!
The Graduate is not a downtown business. Will the Grad participate in this “covenant?” Will the Grad set aside their “tradition” of selling beer at 6:00 AM on Picnic Day?
If the Grad doesn’t sign on, I expect it will be difficult to get the downtown establishments to do so.
I suspect the Grad is the last place anyone is going to have to worry about.
“Actually when you take pot and alcohol together you just fall asleep.”
LOL.
I still think this is an overreaction and alcohol is being used as the scapegoat. Part of it was the scenario: it had been cold and rainy for weeks, and when the sky opened up for Picnic Day, everyone came out. Also, downtown Davis businesses were way over capacity, as were the sidewalks. The real solution to me is to a) enforce limits on occupancy, b) encourage businesses to limit outdoor occupancy as well (hello there, Bistro 33), and c) close most of the streets downtown so that people can walk/bike through a much larger area.
Holidays like this are always going to encourage party behavior in college towns. UC Davis has over 30,000 students. You can’t take the alcohol out of it. Since the first time I came to a Picnic Day, I remember seeing the frats on their lawns with their kegs. And you know what? I rather like it that way. Let the students have a single day where they can party and celebrate their hedonistic college lifestyle a bit.
Also, rusty, that comparison is… no. Legalization of pot would cause a federal law to not be enforced by state law enforcement; we would still have no say on what the DEA/FBI does. Arizona’s immigration law is a racial profiling-based law which seeks to turn law enforcement into immigration enforcement as well. It’s a world of difference. One reduces the role and power of the police and lets the feds do it if they want to… one seeks to wield the same power as the federal government by claiming authority that is not granted to it.
Aleeza wrote: @ Briankenyon: it is illegal to totally ban alcohol sales…only realistic solutions can be considered & implemented!
Aleeza: I would say it depends on what you want to accomplish. Preserving the illusion that bar owners are not greedy to the exclusion of any humanitarian impulse. Or thwarting their grasping greed and lightening up on the peer pressure that forces kids to line up at 6am at the Grad and buy alcohol. Opening at 6am!! That’s more like a dive bar in downtown Sac catering to alcoholics.
Realistically, there is no longer the collective will, the way there was in years past, when Davis was a “dry” town, to buck the national trend toward mindlessness and going with the flow of alcohol.
“What are you doin’ here?”
“Buyin’ beer.”
“Why?”
“Cause everybody’s doin’ it.”
Conversation outside the Grad at 6am between a passerby and a kid.