A proposed city ordinance that would necessitate keg registration has many local residents alarmed.
The ordinance, proposed by Ald. Paul Skidmore, District 9, would require anyone purchasing a keg to register a name, address, date of birth, identification number, detailed description of purchase and date of sale when purchasing a keg.
Also, it would prohibit buying or possessing more than one barrel without a special permit. Permits could be obtained through the city clerk with a request and a $10 fee.
'I think this is a solution in search of a problem,' Ald. Austin King, District 8, said. 'The best case scenario is that it has no impact on drinking in Madison and the worse case scenario is that it actually leads to an increase in hard liquor consumption which is much more dangerous because people don't know how much they've consumed'it's harder to measure.'
Students also say they are wary of the proposal.
'It would be hard,' said Derek Granitz, social chair of UW-Madison's chapter of the Acacia fraternity. Granitz said that, on average, six barrels are needed per party and the ordinance could cause major financial concerns.
'We've definitely done cans and kegs in the past, and kegs are definitely a better use of your money,' he said.
But the possible limit and decline of keg sales does not seem to matter to some local alcohol merchants.
'I don't think it will affect business at all,' said Ian Haas, manager of University Avenue Liquor, 525 University Ave. 'I mean, people always find a way to get around things. Any ordinance down here that they try to pass down here for drinking, like Halloween for example, the bigger and worse it gets.'
But business is not the sole concern of critics.
'This really allows for 'Big Brother' to enter into the equation,' Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said. 'The Madison Police and the Madison city attorney's office currently have no trouble whatsoever finding and prosecuting ?? parties that supposedly are getting out of hand.'
The next vote will occur a week from today at an Alcohol Review Committee meeting. 'If students are looking to have an impact,' King said, 'showing up and testifying against the proposed ordinance and pointing out its flaws would be a great use of [their] time.'
