By T. Scott Boatright
The Lincoln Parish Library Board of Control made it official during Thursday as it passed a motion to change regulations that now allows alcohol to be served inside the LPL Events Center if renters utilizing that facility want to do so.
But alcohol will be allowed to be served in the Events Center only. Not inside the library itself or on any other property owned by Lincoln Parish.
On Tuesday the Lincoln Parish Police Jury passed a motion by a 6-4 vote to amend its Code of Ordinances to allow alcohol to be served during functions renting out Events Center space.
And on Thursday, the LPL Board voted unanimously to approve the new regulations the LPPJ voted in favor of, making the matter official on all sides.
“The only action we have to take is to formally adopt the policies and rules that we drafted and were approved by the Jury,” said LPL Board member Bill Jones, a lawyer who wrote the revised policies approved by the LPPJ and the LPL Board before making the motion for the Board to finalize the process.
“We appreciate the Jury for hearing, voting and approving this and we think it will allow us to have a more productive way to utilize the Events Center.”
One Events Center policy change was updating and clarifying its policy on an “Indemnification and Hold Harmless” agreement in which a renter agrees to indemnify and hold the library, the Events Center, and their employees, agents, representatives, officers and directors harmless from any and all claims, demands, liabilities, damages, charges, expenses, or actions, including attorney’s fees, whether for personal injury or property damage arising from or related to a renter’s use of the Events Center and its parking lot to the fullest extent of the law.
A “Risk of Loss or Damage to Renter’s Property” clause has also been added to Events Center policies, meaning that renters would assume the risk of loss or damage to property they place in the Events Center so that neither the Lincoln Parish Library nor the Events Center be responsible for loss or damage to any such property, with the renters assuming the sole risk of loss and damage to such property placed in the LPL or Events Center.
Another new stipulation requires security at any event where alcohol would be served, with the LPL making those security arrangements by requesting the service of off-duty Sheriff’s Office deputies, or off-duty Ruston Police Department personnel should off-duty deputies not be available, at an approximate count of one officer per 100 people.
The updated Event Centers use rules also prohibit event attendees from bringing their own alcohol to the Events Center, and that any alcohol served or sold there must be served by a bartender with a valid, Louisiana-issued alcoholic beverage caterer’s permit.
Jones told the LPL Board that there is a potential for more changes to be made to Events Center policies after he recently met with LPPJ member Chris “Moose” Garriga, who owns Log Cabin Grill and Market and co-owns Ponchatoulas Restaurant.
“Moose came and visited the Events Center because he at the (LPPJ) where our proposed changes were introduced, he said he had some ideas he thought could make things better for the renters,” Jones said. “So, we invited him to come and he did, and gosh, he stayed an hour and a half and he gave us some really good ideas.
When (LPL Director Jeremy Bolom, who was out of town for Thursday’s Board of Control meeting) gets back, I think we’re going to draft a proposal to purchase the items that Moose suggested that we (get) that could help anybody catering when they get there. And we’re not talking about a huge expenditure. He also had some procedural and policy advice. So I think we’ll be coming back to the Board once we have a chance to move forward on that. He was very helpful. That’s his business, and he was very happy to help us. I learned a lot from him.”
Jones said news of the pending change has already resulted in what he called a large public service organization interested in renting out the Events Center contingent on the policy changes that are now official.
