The city of Red Bank is seeking to begin regulating brown bagging through an ordinance the Board of Commissioners will review on second reading Aug. 2.
"We need to make this consistent with the beer ordinance we have," said City Manager Chris Dorsey. "No such establishment [allowing brown bagging] will be located within 300 feet of a school, church or public gathering."
According to the proposed ordinance, brown bagging will not be allowed in the city on Sunday from 12:01 a.m. until 12:01 p.m. nor from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. Monday-Saturday.
"It fills a void that might be there," said Mayor Monty Millard. "It should make it more attractive for people to come to certain restaurants in Red Bank. It gives them certainly another option to consider."
Red Bank Commissioner Ruth Jeno argued that when the commission passed liquor by the drink, it did not bring in more chain restaurants. Red Bank Commissioner Floy Pierce also expressed reservations about passing the brown bagging ordinance.
Red Bank attorney Arnold Stulce Jr. explained that brown bagging is already allowed in Red Bank, based on the fact the city allows liquor by the drink. The two come hand-in-hand and municipalities must take specific action to limit brown bagging.
Millard said restaurants will need a specific brown bagging permit in addition to either a beer or liquor permit.
The ordinance is the result of a request from Red Bank's Old Saigon Restaurant, whose owners said their customers would like to bring in wine to go with their food, according to Millard.
"To me this is a happy medium," he said. "We actually had the owner of Old Saigon Restaurant ask if we have a brown bagging ordinance. She did not want a full-blown liquor license, but she said her customers like to drink wine with their food."
The measure passed unanimously on first reading. No citizens voiced opposition to it.
City police and building inspectors will enforce the resultant regulations for establishments selling setups for mixed drinks, wine consumption or permitting brown bagging. According to the ordinance, the term "brown bagging shall mean the practice of patrons, customers or guests bringing alcoholic beverages upon their premises or any person selling setups for mixed drinks or providing corkage services for wine."