TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Dr. Douglas Hewett, ICMA-CM, City Manager
FROM: Dr. Andrew Mansell, Senior Assistant to the City Manager
DATE: September 14, 2026
RE:Title
Adopt Ordinance Amending Section 5-5 of the City Code to Authorize Alcohol Sales by Permitted Vendors at The Courts at Glenville Lake and Other Designated City Facilities
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COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
All
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
Goal 2: Economic & Strategic Growth, or the applicable quality-of-life goal
Executive Summary:
Staff requests that Council adopt an ordinance amending Section 5-5 of the City Code to authorize alcohol sales by permitted vendors at The Courts at Glenville Lake and at other city facilities designated by the City Manager or designee, through a concession, lease, or license agreement approved by the City. The amendment allows the City to offer concession food and beverage service comparable to peer recreation venues, supports the facility's ability to host tournaments and private events, and generates concession revenue under the governing agreement. The vendor must hold valid permits issued by the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission, which govern the sale of alcoholic beverages. The amendment does not permit patrons to bring alcohol onto city property; consumption is limited to beverages sold by the permitted vendor within designated areas, and the existing prohibition continues to apply otherwise. The amendment follows the structure of the existing Code exceptions for the Fayetteville Regional Airport and the Horne House.
Background:
Section 5-5 of the City Code makes it unlawful to consume alcoholic beverages, or to possess an open container, on property owned, occupied, or controlled by the City. Section 18-13 applies this prohibition to city parks except as permitted under Section 5-5. Section 5-5(c) lists limited exceptions, each conditioned on a valid ABC permit: designated areas at the Fayetteville Regional Airport; events and activities designated by the City Manager or designee at the Horne House; approved special events within the Core Downtown Area; and permittees under Section 24-134.
The Courts at Glenville Lake, the City's tennis facility at 730 Filter Plant Drive, is located outside the Core Downtown Area, which Section 24-132 defines as the downtown Municipal Service District. No existing exception applies to the facility, so vendor alcohol sales there cannot occur under the current Code, and authorizing them requires an amendment.
Food and beverage service through a facility concessionaire, including beer and wine, is commonly offered at comparable public and private recreation venues and supports a facility's ability to attract and host tournaments, leagues, receptions, and private event rentals. Concession sales also generate revenue to the City under the terms of the governing agreement. The current Code forecloses this option at the facility and at city facilities generally outside the existing exceptions. The amendment enables the City to consider vendor alcohol sales on a facility-by-facility basis; it does not require or establish alcohol sales at any facility.
Issues/Analysis:
The proposed amendment adds a new exception, written in the same form as the Horne House provision. Alcohol sales are permitted only by a vendor holding valid State ABC permits, only within areas designated by the City Manager or designee, and only under a concession, lease, or license agreement approved by the City. Permit eligibility, insurance, and regulatory compliance rest with the vendor and the State. Patrons may not bring alcohol onto the property; the exception covers vendor sales and service within designated areas, and the prohibition in Section 5-5 continues to apply outside them. The City controls the terms of service through the governing agreement, including insurance and indemnification requirements and conditions on service, such as restricting or suspending alcohol sales during designated youth or school events.
The amendment names The Courts at Glenville Lake and extends designation authority to other city facilities. This anticipates future requests, for example a vendor serving a catered reception or private event rental at another city facility, without requiring a separate Code amendment for each facility. Under this structure, Council's decision is the ordinance itself; individual facility designations and the associated agreements would be administrative actions of the City Manager, with agreements following the City's standard contracting processes. If Council prefers to approve each future facility individually, a narrower amendment naming only The Courts at Glenville Lake is available as Option 2.
Budget Impact:
The ordinance amendment has no direct cost. Concession, lease, or license agreements executed under the amended section may generate revenue to the City; financial terms are established in each agreement.
Options:
1. Adopt the ordinance amending Section 5-5 as presented, authorizing alcohol sales by permitted vendors at The Courts at Glenville Lake and at other city facilities designated by the City Manager or designee.
2. Adopt a narrower amendment limited to The Courts at Glenville Lake, with any future facility returning to Council as a separate Code amendment.
3. Do not adopt the amendment. The existing prohibition remains in effect at the facility.
Recommended Action::Recommended Action
Staff recommends Council adopt the ordinance amending Section 5-5(c) of the City Code as presented (Option 1).
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Attachments:
1. Redlined Section 5-5
2. Proposed Section 5-5