Iowa City panel to urge changes in 21-only exemptions

IOWA CITY - An Iowa City group is sending several recommendations to the City Council in an effort to level out what several members see as an uneven playing field regarding “food exemptions” to the 21-only ordinance at bars.

The Partnership for Alcohol Safety, a group of city leaders, University of Iowa officials and students, business owners and community leaders, approved the recommendations Wednesday. Mayor Matt Hayek, co-chairman of the partnership, said it's likely the council will consider the ideas at an upcoming meeting.

The recommendations are aimed at cracking down on bars that apply for and receive an exemption from the 21-only law, which kicks people younger than 21 out of Iowa City bars at 10 p.m. An establishment can receive an exemption from the 21-only law by showing that its primary purpose is not the sale of alcohol, including demonstrating that more than 50 percent of its sales come from goods and services other than alcohol.

But when Iowa City bars are sold, for example, the new owner gets an automatic six-month exemption. The status is being abused by a few downtown establishments who are using it to serve underage patrons, said several bar owners in the partnership.

“It's not an even playing field anymore for the bars downtown,” said Leah Cohen, owner of Bo-James restaurant and bar. “Why should anyone have an exemption?”

Among the recommendations are one that suggests the city require businesses that receive an exemption to maintain a low rate of citations for possession of alcohol under the legal age (PAULA). The committee suggests the PAULA ratio requirement be 0.50 or below - which means one citation per every two visits by Iowa City or UI police officers - to be eligible for the designation, and that the ratio be reviewed frequently so businesses having problems with minors getting access to alcohol can be addressed quickly.

Using the 0.50 PAULA ratio requirement would make the food exemption the same as the “entertainment venue” designation, which grants an exemption to bars that show their main purpose is to provide live entertainment, allowing them to admit 19- and 20-year-olds until midnight.

Partnership committee member Jim Mondanaro, who owns several downtown businesses, said he would like to see the city go one step further and do away with granting exemptions, and instead move the enforcement time of the 21-ordinance from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Hayek said he wasn't sure if the community has the stomach to go through such a lengthy debate again so soon after the 21-only vote last November.