Support for alcohol ordinance seems weak on Borough Council

As discussion of the possible alcohol ordinance lags in Princeton Borough Council's public safety committee, an overwhelming majority of key players expressed hesitation about pushing the issue further.

The public safety committee tabled discussion Friday morning of the state law — which allows municipalities to enact ordinances that would permit police to cite underage drinkers on private property. The committee now awaits feedback from local groups, specifically Corner House — an organization that focuses on teenage alcohol and drug abuse.

Council members Wendy Benchley, Ryan Lilienthal and Peggy Karcher all said they are hesitant about a possible ordinance and that it is not a primary concern at the moment.

"We don't have to adopt an ordinance in order to meet those safety concerns," Lilienthal said. "It's not a specific area that we want to put the efforts of our police force. I don't think it's a major issue."

Mildred Trotman, chair of the public safety committee, also expressed doubts about the urgency of passing an ordinance in Princeton.

"I don't hear a great cry from anyone to get this done," Trotman said, adding that she does not expect the committee to introduce the ordinance to the Council for at least a few months.

And some members of the public safety committee said they were uncertain whether the committee would ever recommend the ordinance.

"It won't make it to Council until after the beginning of the year if it comes up at all," Borough Mayor Marvin Reed said.

For the public safety committee — which includes Trotman, Reed, Lilienthal, Karcher and Borough administrator Bob Bruschi — to recommend the ordinance to the Borough Council, the ordinance first would have to receive support from the majority of the committee.

Even without the committee's endorsement, any member of the Council could introduce discussion of the ordinance.

But most Council members said that would not happen.

"Without the recommendation, it will go nowhere," Council president Roger Martindell said. "My sense is nobody will bring it up."

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Bruschi said if discussion of the ordinance were introduced to the Council by a single member, it would just be sent back to the public safety committee for consideration.

Council member David Goldfarb — who supported the ordinance in September and initially said he expected it to garner major endorsement from Council members — was out of town yesterday and unavailable for comment.

Borough Police Chief Thomas Michaud, who has shepherded the state law to consideration into town councils across the state as head of the New Jersey Police Chiefs Association, said he continues to support an ordinance.

He said the impact similar ordinances have had in shore towns such as Avalon — in which thousands of teenagers were arrested during a three-year period — does not reflect accurately how an ordinance would be enforced in the Borough.

"I don't anticipate a flood of violations," Michaud said. He noted that though similar controversy arose over the Borough's open container ordinance a few years ago, only 15 to 20 people have been cited per year since its enactment.

While an alcohol ordinance breezed through Ewing Township after only two meetings, the ordinance has been hindered by several obstacles in the Princeton Borough.

Michaud said he attributes the slow deliberation to concern about Fourth Amendment violations, but emphasized the ordinance would not broaden police power.

He added that though any Council member could introduce discussion of the ordinance at upcoming meetings, he does not plan to influence the process in any way.

"My job was to put it in the hands of the public safety committee," Michaud said. "I'm not going to intervene."

And as the Borough Council, area residents and the University anticipate word from Corner House, it seems the fuel that kindled controversy in the community has begun to fizzle.

"It sounds like the momentum is slowed," Martindell said. "Whether it ever comes up to Council, I have no idea. The impetus to proceed seems to have diminished."