DORA proposal draws large crowd at Rochester City Council meeting

With its chambers packed, the Rochester City Council on Tuesday heard arguments for and against establishing a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA, allowing of-age community members the ability to buy alcoholic drinks downtown and carry them around a designated area.

A packed, standing-room-only crowd filled Rochester City Hall and spilled into the lobby Tuesday night, as the city council continues to consider establishing a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA, downtown. 

Effective July 1, 2023, Indiana Code authorizes municipalities to create a DORA, allowing individuals who are at least 21 years old to purchase alcoholic beverages from approved vendors and retail establishments and carry them outside to be consumed within the DORA boundaries.

In August, the council got its first look at a draft ordinance to establish a DORA in the city's downtown. It was presented by Councilwoman Amy Roe with the support of nine downtown establishments. Roe also shared with fellow council members a separate, but related DORA ordinance specifically pertaining to special events downtown. Those ordinances have since been finalized for consideration, with legal descriptions and exhibits added.

Mayor Trent Odell noted that over the last month there has been an outpouring of emails and phone calls to city officials both for and against establishing a DORA. 

"I know this is a volatile issue, but everybody has been very kind with their views and their opinions," he said. "This is value for a community to share their opinions, and it's valuable to us to hear from all of you."

Given Tuesday's turnout, he moved the matter up on the council's agenda and asked those speaking to keep their comments to two minutes or less.

"Our plan tonight is to hear both sides of the argument," he said, adding there would be no vote for at least another month, maybe two.

Those in support

Speaking in favor of a DORA were Alissa Ferro, owner of Uncorked; Harry Webb, president of the Rochester Downtown Partnership (RDP); Jared Tyler, a managing partner of Tip A Canoe Brews; Brice Romine, owner of Jarrety's Place and Arlington Public House; Monica Smith, owner of Putt's Bar & Grill; Julie Shambarger, executive director of the Times Theater and RDP; and Councilwoman Ruth Gunter, owner of Ruthless Bar & Patio and Evergreen Eatery.

Those to speak in opposition included four local pastors, Bill McSpadden, Rob Ruberg, Don Meyer and Terry Baldwin, as well as a local teacher, mother, veteran and assistant pastor. 

Ferro said the DORA would allow her to open up more area to serve people. 

"The biggest takeaway for me is that it allows my patio space to not stand up to the specific rules that the ATC (Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission) has put forth, so I can expand it, I can put it on my front sidewalk," she said. "We really want to expand our space without necessarily promoting drinking in the streets."

She noted a DORA would allow participating businesses, like Uncorked and Tip A Canoe Brews, to more easily share customers, as they could get a beer at the brewery and bring it into the restaurant for dinner. 

She, like many other downtown business owners, also noted it may help attract more people to the area. 

Webb noted Rochester is blessed to have so many quality restaurants, but added that "none of them are thriving."

"I don't think any one of you can sit there and say that our restaurants are packed to the gills. And they need our support," he said. "If we don't figure out ways to support these restaurants and breweries in ways that are economic friendly, we're going to lose them, and we're going to lose a lot of what makes downtown Rochester."

He said establishing a DORA wouldn't promote more alcohol use and may actually deter overindulgence, as people wouldn't be finishing one drink to go somewhere else to order another.

It's not about promoting liquor. It's not a religious issue. It's about economic vitality," he argued. "I don't think anybody wants to see downtown Rochester become a place where there's drunkenness. If it makes it worse, we'll abolish it. Plain and simple."

Tyler highlighted his team's commitment to bringing a brewery to Rochester, which spans seven years and represents $200,000 in personal investment. 

"This is something that we can manage, and the people that are behind it are responsible," he said of a DORA, citing tighter rules. "This is going to make our business better. It'll help us attract more people, partners to work in our business, and it benefits everyone downtown."

Romine spoke briefly about how a DORA could help draw more young professionals to live or visit here. 

"For me, not for like a sales perspective, but for somebody who cares about Rochester, I think this is a great idea," he said.

Smith spoke about customer appreciate days and the ease a DORA would allow to host those. She also spoke about losing space due to two shutdowns. 

Shamberger spoke on the positive impact the Times Theater has had on the community and her support for a DORA to continue collaborative efforts.

"We can do this together," she said of establishing a DORA. "It's just a way to continue to help and market together. Nobody is looking for a problem."

Thanks to the theater, Gunter noted there are now more reasons for people to come to Rochester; however, she noted the more things visitors are restricted from doing, the less likely they are to return.

In opposition

McSpadden was the first to speak against establishing a DORA. He noted his opposition on biblical grounds and said it doesn't make sense regardless, as people can already walk down the street with an open container. 

He also cited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website in saying alcohol is "killing the economy" and referenced a conflict of interest in Gunter promoting a DORA while owning two downtown businesses and serving on the council. 

"I am unalterably opposed to this because I am opposed to anything that will boost alcohol or promote alcohol because it's a scourge on our society," he said, adding that families experience divorce, abuse, financial loss and death from alcohol.

Ruberg told the council he believed a DORA would lead to more public drunkenness, which he didn't want to see, and referred to alcohol as a gateway drug.

"Let's not put any more drunks on our streets than are there already," he said, asking council members to vote no when the time comes. 

Meyer said the DORA ordinance was "at best poor stewardship of responsible use of alcohol."

He added that establishing a DORA would undermine efforts for a brick-and-mortar building to provide recovery services. 

"Having put our effort toward that, to also put our effort toward an ordinance like this, in my opinion, is a little bit like trying to reduce the hydrilla at one end of the lake while helping to promote it at the other end of the lake. It doesn't make sense," he said. "If we pass this ordinance, we kind of officially make ourselves a community of discrepancy at war with ourselves."

He also cited the success of Rochester's annual Chili Cook-Off and Red Hot Car Show without a DORA in place. 

"I would encourage the council members to please not go after what I think is going to be a minnow of value at the expense of a larger and choking weed bed of difficulty," he added. "And if you had been in favor of this, there is no shame in reconsidering."

Baldwin said he agreed with the other pastors, adding establishing a DORA would be a step backwards to the progress and change he's been seeing in the community. 

"All I've heard about is the liquor and the money," Faith McSpadden said. "What about the kids in Rochester?"

She called to council members' attention those children walking home from school, those going to Rochester Family Martial Arts or Elemental Art Studio and those who visit Santa downtown around Christmas. She also expressed concern about the disposal of DORA cups with partial amounts of alcohol left in them.

Following a couple more comments, Odell encouraged residents to keep reaching out to share their opinions.

"We want to hear from everyone," he said. "We're still gathering information and are a ways away from considering for or against."