We're delighted that the Hamilton County Commission put the brakes on limited alcohol sales at several Hamilton County parks, but we're flummoxed about the way it occurred.
When the motion to repeal a 1984 restriction on the sale and consumption of alcohol at Chester Frost Park, Chattanooga Riverpark and Enterprise South Nature Park was brought up for discussion by Commissioner Joe Graham at Wednesday's commission meeting, it died for lack of a second. But after the meeting, at least two commissioners said they either supported the proposal or did not oppose it.
Incredibly, Commissioner Warren Mackey said he would have seconded the motion, but the resolution "passed me too quickly to allow for a vote."
And Commissioner Marty Haynes said he would have supported the measure if it had received a second.
The audio recording of the meeting indicates commissioners had 11 seconds for any commissioner to have seconded Graham's motion before Chairman Chester Bankston said the measure failed for lack of a second.
Other than Graham, who said he just wanted to get the proposal on the table for an up-or-down vote, no commissioner apparently was willing to discuss it.
After the meeting, Commissioners Tim Boyd and Sabrena Smedley voiced opposition to the proposal, saying they would have needed better risk/benefit data to support the measure. And Commissioners Greg Beck and Bankston had raised questions last week when the proposal initially was made by Administrator of General Services Lee Norris. Fair enough.
But shouldn't the pros and cons of such an issue be discussed in the open? Could there be ways to hold special events involving alcohol at the parks without the general public being around them? Is Hamilton County so desperate for parks revenue it needs to offer events where alcohol would be available? How prevalent is the uncontrolled drinking already going on in the park that Norris mentioned last week? How does the passage of the guns in parks bill play into the proposal?
We said last week we felt the juxtaposition of alcohol and the general public was too cozy if the alcohol restriction was repealed, so we're pleased the parks at the moment will remain a haven for families. But we want our county commissioners to discuss important issues in the open, not to wait until the microphones are turned off and the audio of their meetings has been uploaded.