SEAL BEACH : Limits on Alcohol Extended by Council

The City Council this week capped the flow of liquor at promotional events by extending restrictions on the sale and distribution of alcohol.

The council voted 3 to 2 on Monday to prohibit commercial groups from selling or distributing alcohol during promotional events on the city’s beaches and other public areas. The council also considered extending the ordinance to nonprofit groups hosting events expected to draw more than 1,000 people, but decided against that measure.

“The reason I am opposed to the 1,000 (person) limit is because I think it is unenforceable,” said Councilwoman Gwen Forsythe. “How can you project and who is going to do the head counting?”

The Seal Beach Business Assn. and nonprofit group leaders echoed Forsythe’s concerns.

However, Councilwoman Marilyn Bruce Hastings, who pushed for the ordinance to be extended to nonprofit groups, said the council was not considering the concerns of Old Town and beachfront residents.

“The people down here have spoken and they have spoken loudly,” she said of her constituents in the 1st District, which includes city beaches where many promotional events are held. “We want a little more control because we live with this.”

Mayor Frank Laszlo was also in support of the revised measure. Seal Beach already has an ordinance that prohibits the sale or distribution of alcohol on public property without proper permits, but that law was found to be inadequate because there were no criteria to determine whether to issue a permit.

City Manager Jerry L. Bankston said the new ordinance will make it easier for commercial groups to know what to expect when planning an event in Seal Beach. He added that the ordinance would not prevent alcohol companies such as the Miller Brewing Co., which hosts an annual volleyball tournament in the city, from holding events in Seal Beach.