Quincy considers drinking ordinance

QUINCY - Quincy is looking at adopting an ordinance aimed at holding parents responsible for parties with underage drinking.

The proposal was spurred by a Mercer Island ordinance allowing the city to fine the person in control of a property $250 for parties where minors are drinking alcohol. Quincy's city council decided to send the proposal to the Public Safety Committee to do more research.

"They're saying in this ordinance that anyone, who has control of a piece of property, that allows underage people to gather and drink there can be fined," Mayor Jim Hemberry said. "It doesn't even matter if the parents know that their kids are using their house to throw a party. They can still be fined for it."

After reading a newspaper article about the ordinance, Hemberry thought it would help Quincy, he said.

"If we want to clean things up in this town, then we need to get a lot stricter about how we do things," he said. "I think this is one step. Maybe it's just a small little thing, but it's saying, 'You know what? We're not going to put up with all the stuff that has been going on in this community that leads to a lot of criminal activity and the other issues.'"

Councilmember Jose Saldana pointed out the proposal might drive underage drinkers out of the city to more rural areas.

"You're taking away one thing, but you're talking about making it happen somewhere else," he said. "Where do you prefer (the party) to be? Either your house or in the back woods where it could be more dangerous."

Hemberry responded saying a similar issue was brought up in the article, but a parent said the minors will still drive to get to a party in the city or outside of the city.

"What this aimed at, in my opinion, is exactly what it says, 'Is making parents responsible,' and I think that's the message I want to send," he said. "It's not going to stop underage people from drinking. It's not going to stop them from having a party somewhere else."

Saldana said he would rather have his children get drunk at his house rather than somewhere else.

Councilmember Scott Lybbert questioned why the Mercer Island ordinance defined an underage gathering as "four or more persons at a property at which alcoholic beverages are being consumed or possessed by one or more underage persons or one or more underage persons are exhibiting effects of consuming alcoholic beverages."

He wondered why it didn't apply to all underage drinking.

City Attorney Allan Galbraith pointed out Mercer Island spent a year studying the issue before drafting the ordinance.

"They made a couple of decisions. One decision was that size ... and the age. It calls underage 19 (years old) not 21," he said.

Ellensburg is considering a similar ordinance using 21 years old, Galbraith said.