2009-41U Drinking Consumption Accountability ORDINANCE NO. 2009-41U
AN URGENCY ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
MENIFEE, CALIFORNIA, ADDING CHAPTER 11.6 ENTITLED "SOCIAL
HOST UNDERAGE DRINKING AND CONSUMPTION
ACCOUNTABILITY" TO MENIFEE MUNICIPAL CODE AND
DECLARING THE URGENCY THEREOF
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MENIFEE DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The City Council finds as follows:
1. The City of Menifee is authorized by California Constitution Article XI Section VII
to make and enforce within its limits all local, police, sanitary, and other ordinances and
regulations and as a policy, the City Council always seeks to ensure public safety is given the
highest priority; and
2. According to local, state and federal surveys, alcohol is overwhelmingly and
consistently the most widely used drug at all adolescent age levels, and a child who begins
alcohol use prior to age fifteen (15) is four times as likely to experience alcohol dependence
than one who refrains from alcohol use until age twenty (20) or older; and
3. The occurrence of parties, gatherings, or events on private property where
alcoholic beverages are served to, consumed by or in the possession of underage persons is
harmful to the underage persons themselves and is a public nuisance; and
4. The Council of Menifee has been informed and believes that the use of alcohol
by youth remains a serious problem in the City, contributing significantly to the possibility of
adolescent crime, addiction, sexual assault, truancy, driving under the influence of alcohol, and
motor vehicle crashes involving alcohol and causing injury and/or death; and
5. Underage persons may obtain alcoholic beverages at gatherings held at private
residences or at rented residential or commercial premises that are under the control of a
person who knows or should know of the service to, possession =by, and/or consumption of
alcoholic beverages by underage persons; and
6. Law enforcement, fire and other emergency response services personnel are
required to respond, sometimes on multiple occasions, to parties, gatherings, or events on
private property at which alcoholic beverages are served to, consumed by or possessed by
underage persons, and responses to such gatherings result in the expenditure of public safety
resources of the City; and
7. Persons held responsible for allowing parties, gatherings, or events where
alcoholic beverages are served to, consumed by or possessed by underage persons will be
more likely to properly supervise or to stop such conduct at parties, gatherings or events held on
property in their possession or under their control if they are held responsible for such conduct;
and
8. Section 25658 of the State of California Business and Professions Code makes it
unlawful for a person under the age of twenty-one (21) years to purchase or attempt to
Ordinance No. 2009-41U
Social Hosting, Underage Drinking and Consumption Accountablility
purchase, or consume alcoholic beverages and makes it unlawful for any person to sell any
alcoholic beverage to any person under the age of twenty-one (21) years; and
9. This Chapter must be effective immediately in order to promote the health,
safety, and general welfare of the youth and other residents of the City of Menifee by applying to
parties and other events at the end of the school year.
SECTION 2. CHAPTER 11.6 IS ADDED TO MENIFEE MUNICIPAL CODE TO READ
AS FOLLOWS:
SOCIAL HOSTING — UNDERAGE DRINKING AND CONSUMPTION ACCOUNTABILITY
Sections:
11.60.010 Definitions
11.60.020 Prohibition of Parties, Gatherings, or Events Where Alcohol is
Served to, Consumed by or in the Possession of Underage Persons
11.60.030 Enforcement
For the purpose of this Chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
(a) "Alcoholic beverage" includes alcohol, spirits, liquor, wine, beer, and every liquid
or solid containing alcohol, spirits, liquor, wine or beer, and which contains one-half of one
percent or more of alcohol by volume and which is fit for beverage purposes either alone or
when diluted, mixed, or combined with other substances.
(b) "Minor" or"underage person" means any person less than twenty-one (21) years
of age.
(c) "Parties, gatherings or event" means and includes a group of two (2) or more
persons who have assembled or are assembling for a social occasion or social activity at a
residence or on other private property or public property rented for a private purposes, but does
not include parties, gatherings or events to parties, gatherings or events where religious
services and/or activities protected by Article 1, Section 45, of the California Constitution, are
exercised nor shall the prohibition apply to the consumption of an alcoholic beverage by a minor
at any place not open to the public when the minor is being supervised by his or her own parent
or legal guardian
(d) Person responsible for an event means and includes but is not limited to:
1. The person who owns, rents, leases or otherwise has control of the
private premises where the party, gathering, or event occurs; or who has leased or rented public
premises for private purposes; and/or
2. The person in charge of the private premises, during the event; and/or
3. The person who organized the event; and/or
4. The person who supervised the event.
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Ordinance No. 2009-41U
Social Hosting, Underage Drinking and Consumption Accountablility
11.60.020 Prohibition of Parties, Gatherings, or Events Where Alcohol Is Served to,
Consumed by or in the Possession or Underage Persons.
No person responsible for an event shall allow, arrange, assist, permit, or host a party,
gathering or event where alcoholic beverages are in the possession of being consumed by, or
served to any underage person.
11.60.030 Enforcement.
(a) Any person violating Section 9.10.020 of this Chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor,
and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000)
and/or imprisonment of not more than six (6) months, except as noted in subsection (2).
(b) Violations of this chapter shall be punishable as provided in this Code.
(c) The procedures provided for in this section are in addition to any other statute,
ordinance or laws, civil criminal. This section in no way limits the authority of law enforcement
officers to make arrests for any criminal offense arising out of conduct regulated by this Chapter.
SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE: This Ordinance shall become effective immediately
upon adoption in order to apply to end of the school parties.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 20th day of May 2009, by 4/5th vote as
follows:
Ayes:
Noes:" II Wrw
Absent:
Abstain:
Wallace W. Edgerton, Mayor
Attest:
9"N9
Kathy Bennett, City Clerk
Approved as to form:
Elizabdtii Martyn, City Attor y -v
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