Although keg registration has momentarily become a nonissue, one city alder said he hopes to pass a law limiting access to kegs of beer.
'My hope is that the keg registration will be in effect by the Mifflin Street Block Party,' said Ald. Paul Skidmore, District 9.
The Madison City Council placed the current draft of the keg registration proposal on file Tuesday, which means there will be no further action made to adopt it until a new version is drafted.
Skepticism has surrounded the proposed ordinance since its inception. Several city committees, including the Alcohol License Review Committee, rejected it.
Skidmore sad his hope was that enforcing keg registration would regulate access to large quantities of alcohol, especially at campus house parties.
Keg registration called for keg purchasers to register their name, address, date of birth, identification number, description of purchase and date of sale. It also would prohibit buying more than one keg without a special permit.
Skidmore, who was the primary sponsor of the ordinance, said he did not feel that people would simply switch to hard liquor if the registration were passed.
Despite the lack of success of the keg registration, Skidmore is hopeful for the proposal's future.
The Madison City Council approved a general building development plan for the proposed University Square complex Tuesday. The passage of the general development plan signifies that the City Council supports the basic concept and structure of the proposed 12-story mixed-use facility in its proposed location.
The specific implementation plan is the next phase of city authorization. This phase of plan development will address aesthetic details and other considerations.
The project will be completed within approximately three years and decisions about what businesses will be leasing retail space on the ground floor will be made later.
Also, the council approved a measure authorizing the use of city infrastructure for wireless Internet installation. The authorization will allow Cellnet, the private firm that has plans to build a wireless system for the city, to use such public property as light poles to install transmitters for a wireless signal.
The agreement between Cellnet and the City of Madison has become the subject of criticism because Cellnet is under no obligation to realize Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's goal of citywide wireless access.
Cellnet has indicated that after it has completed equipping the downtown area with wireless access in March 2006, it will evaluate the plan to expand.
