After a couple of months of discussion, the Columbus City Council approved Monday the creation of entertainment districts (ED) while revising the special event permit application for city-owned property.

Additionally, the council amended any city regulations that could clash with an ED or special event permit. The council OK’d both measures after the third reading.

Entertainment districts, which are designated by the council, allow alcoholic drinks to be enjoyed within a common area. Business owners, community organizations and developers can apply to the city to host gatherings in an ED. 

To qualify, applicants would have to show that the entertainment district has a section that borders the licensee’s business within the ED. Additionally, the area needs to have restricted pedestrian access and be closed to road traffic.

Alcohol is only permitted within the commons area. The alcoholic drinks can be purchased while there is food service available within that area. The applicant also must possess a liquor license within the ED.

Third Ward Council Member Rich Jablonski asked City Administrator Tara Vasicek if the business owner would have to apply for a license through the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission. Vasicek said that would be the case.

“There are multiple parts to this ordinance but for anybody to get an entertainment district or liquor license … they would have to go through the state,” Vasicek said.

Both city officials and the ordinance itself said the goal for the entertainment districts is to entice visitors and residents to downtown.

Columbus is the sixth Nebraska city to have entertainment districts. Beatrice, Lincoln, Papillion, Omaha and Alliance already have them as well.

Meanwhile, the special event permit application amendment would create a process in which city staff can oversee the procedure. According to the proposal, the process will now remove any obstacle and streamline approval and request timelines “to attract events and utilization of our public spaces.”

“The purpose of this amendment is to incorporate the changes in the ordinance that was just passed,” Vasicek said about the council members’ prior vote on amending the city code and creation of entertainment districts.

Mayor Jim Bulkley said it was merely “a paperwork clear-up” resolution.

Previously, the city barred alcohol in all its parks except for Pawnee and Gerrard. Any organization that wanted alcohol at said parks would have to wait for a park board meeting. According to the city, the process dissuades groups from asking, leading to the event ultimately not occurring. 

The new language in the ordinance would remove alcohol prohibition in public spaces and instead establish a permit process to allow such beverages in said locations. The event would need to be approved by the Columbus City Council.

Similar to the entertainment districts, proponents believed the permit process is beneficial for downtown, as well as for other parks to host events, concerts, adult sports leagues, family reunions and more.

In other business, the city council OK’d $26,201,578 to go to Boyd Jones Construction Company for guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for construction of the overall Columbus Community Building plan. 

Vasicek said GMP will remain the same unless there is a change order. Even if there is such a change order, the project is still within the budget, she added. 

Last November, voters approved a bond measure that permitted the building’s construction. The project, excluding the City Hall portion, is backed by a current half-percent sales tax. The building will house the Columbus Public Library, a children’s museum, an art gallery, Columbus City Hall and a gift shop. 

Currently, crews are hard at work on the project as they are now building one of the stairwells, Vasicek said.

She also said the project is on time. Part of the schedule has been amended but the target date of spring 2023 remains the same, Vasicek said.

The council members said they were looking forward to the project’s completion. 

“We’re a ways out but it’s happening,” Fourth Ward Council Member John Lohr said.