Allowing alcoholic beverages at Shawnee County’s four adult softball complexes would help it increase revenues and attract national tournaments, supporters say.
But questions remain as to whether the county is prepared to deal with problems that might bring.
Teresa Miller, a member of the Shawnee County Parks and Recreation advisory board, told commissioners Dec. 20 about how beer consumption made players more aggressive on the teams for which her husband used to play.
“When they had beer, they were pretty rowdy,” she said. “Baseball bats make good weapons.”
Parks and recreation director John Knight responded his department plans to arrange for on-site vendors to sell beer in a controlled environment, where sufficient security is provided.
“We’re missing out on a lot of potential revenue,” he said.
Commissioners Bob Archer, Bill Riphahn and Kevin Cook plan Thursday to consider a home rule resolution sponsored by Cook to allow alcoholic beverages to be possessed and consumed at the adult softball complexes the county maintains.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)