photo by: Chris Conde

Lawrence City Hall, 2018.

City leaders will consider creating exceptions to a proposed ordinance that would require managers at businesses that serve alcohol to undergo sexual violence intervention training.

As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission deferred adopting an ordinance requiring the training for on-site managers as a condition of drinking establishment licenses, which are required for bars, restaurants and other businesses that serve alcohol.

Commissioners already proposed an exception for liquor licenses for temporary events, and came to a consensus Tuesday that additional exceptions should be considered after hearing concerns from businesses such as the Regal Cinemas Southwind 12 and Theatre Lawrence, as well as from the local American Legion post. The commission generally agreed that the training requirement should not apply to businesses where alcohol sales are not a core component of the business, and directed city legal staff to review potential options for creating additional exceptions to the ordinance.

The city issues a local drinking establishment license, which is required in addition to the state liquor license. City legal staff has said the city could require certain training as a condition of the local license. Whether the city would contribute funding for the training is still undetermined.