Union County to consider social-host law

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CNA staff reporter It works in West Des Moines. It might work here. That’s the thought behind a recent effort from Creston’s SAFE organization to implement a social-host law in Union County. “We’re basically going to pattern the one from West Des Moines,” said Union County Attorney Tim Kenyon. West Des Moines’ social host law is the first in Iowa, approved Dec. 3. It allows the city to impose fines on adults who host underage drinking parties, whether or not the host is aware of the party or present when it happens, “and the person fails to take reasonable steps to prevent the possession or consumption by the underage person.” Kenyon is in the process of adjusting West Des Moines’ ordinance to suit countywide application here. He’s discussed the idea with the county board of supervisors. “The board of supervisors did express interest in at least a preliminary follow-up with it,” Kenyon said. “So, here in March, we anticipate presenting a draft to the board.” Kenyon has been working with a local group of concerned citizens who began meeting in October to discuss and combat drug and alcohol issues in the area. The idea of a social-host law came out of those meetings, and Kenyon took the idea to the Union County Board of Supervisors. Kenyon said the supervisors were careful to explain their intent if the law is passed. “The point the board wanted to make was they didn’t want this to appear to be a money-maker or revenue-generating item,” Kenyon said. “They suggested any revenue went to education purposes to fight drug and alcohol issues.” Revenue would come from fines imposed by the social-host law. In West Des Moines, it gives the city discretion to fine the host of an underage drinking party up to $1,000. Support Creston Police Sgt. Pat Henry has been working with SAFE, too. Henry has a resolution of support available for people to sign. Wednesday, Henry said he’d collected more than 100 signatures, so far. “Most of them are school teachers, and there’s some law enforcement,” Henry said. He attended a couple of meetings with teachers at Creston Middle and High schools, and said many teachers signed the resolution after those meetings. “I didn’t even have to work that hard, I just explained what it was and why we’re looking at it, and we got almost full support from them,” Henry said. Next Henry said he intends to talk to Creston City Council about the potential Union County social-host law, but he’s not sure how soon that will happen. Kenyon said once the resolution is presented to the board of supervisors, it would require a public hearing before being adopted as a resolution. “Our hopeful best-case scenario would be perhaps by graduation season that this item might be available as a law-enforcement tool to handle graduation parties,” Kenyon said. “We’re still in the right time-frame to do that.” —————— Jasmynne Sloan can be reached at (641) 782-2141 ext. 236 or jsloan@crestonnews.com

West Des Moines City Code Ordinance no. 1788, 4-9-3 “It is unlawful for any social host to host an event, gathering, or party on premises when the person knows or reasonably should know that an underage person has consumed an alcoholic beverage, or possessed an alcoholic beverage with the intent to consume it, and the person fails to take reasonable steps to prevent the possession or consumption by the underage person. A social host who hosts such an event, gathering, or party does not have to be present at the time the prohibited act occurs.” In section 4-9-4, the ordinance makes an exception for “conduct solely between an underage person and his or her parents while present in the parents’ household, to legally protected religious observances, and to situations where underage persons are lawfully in possession of alcoholic beverages during the course and scope of employment.”