A Community Covenant to adopt “responsible hospitality practices” promoting a healthy and safe Picnic Day environment in Downtown Davis was introduced on September 29 by the DDBA. UC Davis has scheduled next year’s Picnic Day for Saturday, April 16, 2011.
Plans are for volunteers within the DDBA to meet one-on-one with the nearly 60 Downtown bar, restaurant and retail store owners holding California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) licenses over the next several weeks to discuss the merits of signing on to the pledge, which covers 13 points of agreement. The points include refraining from selling or serving alcoholic beverages before 11:00 a.m. on Picnic Day, ceasing to use price promotions or specials on drinks that encourage over-consumption and intoxication and providing responsible beverage service training to all employees who serve and sell alcohol at businesses.
“As a community shopping, dining and entertainment destination, Downtown Davis needs to take responsibility to be a good neighbor, do the right thing and offer a safe and attractive ambiance for Picnic Day visitors,” commented Joy Cohan, DDBA Director. “DDBA is aiming for 100% participation amongst its members who sell alcoholic beverages.”
Cohan introduced the concept of the covenant to bar operators from across the City of Davis at the Davis Police Department’s annual meeting with drinking establishments. The Police Department provided significant input to DDBA as the covenant was crafted over the past four months, based upon specific experiences and incidents that occurred during Picnic Day 2010 on April 17. On that date, the Police Department received 516 calls for service and made 33 arrests, many of these in the Downtown area and for violations related to public drunkenness, fighting in public and driving under the influence.
Following DDBA’s visits to Downtown establishments to gain agreement to the covenant, the Davis Chamber of Commerce intends to set similar meetings with businesses throughout the City which sell alcoholic beverages. Both DDBA and the Chamber are partners with City, Police Department and University officials in a Picnic Day Working Group aimed at radically changing Picnic Day and its impacts upon the community.
“Picnic Day is a treasured community event that we want to see continued,” stated Christi Skibbins, the Chamber’s Executive Director. The Chamber values the cooperation of this working group, and we are eager to do what we can to ensure its success”
Advertisements publicizing the final list of bars, restaurants and retailers who choose to become a part of the covenant will run in local media by early April.
“Public perception may well be that businesses selling alcohol who don’t appear on the list are conspicuous by their absence,” Cohan noted. “DDBA firmly believes that the community will value the responsible decisions made by the establishments that sign on to the covenant, and respond favorably to those businesses throughout the rest of the year.”
While Cohan concedes that the Community Covenant will not directly influence the many private parties where alcohol is served on Picnic Day both Downtown and elsewhere in the City, she says that DDBA and the working group partners hope that gaining the compliance of retail sales outlets to the tenets of the covenant will have some impact upon the extent of alcohol-related problems stemming from such parties.
“Picnic Day is a long-cherished tradition in the Davis community,” said City of Davis Mayor Don Saylor. I’m pleased the local business leaders recognize this, and are making plans to preserve the family-oriented atmosphere and keep the celebration safe and enjoyable for all by promoting responsible behavior. This covenant is an excellent approach to allow businesses to self-manage without additional regulation from the city.”
Downtown businesses with ABC licenses wishing to join the Picnic Day Community Covenant should contact DDBA at (530) 756-8763 or . Businesses elsewhere in the City who sell alcohol can become a part of the pledge by contacting the Chamber at (530) 756-5160 or
Download Picnic Day Community Covenant PDF
