Beer Board Discusses Training of Store Clerks

Liz Engel
Herald-Citizen Staff
Tuesday, Oct 06, 2009

COOKEVILLE -- Big changes could be coming in an effort to curb beer sales to minors as the city's Alcoholic Beverage Control Board will be looking at the possibility of requiring training for store clerks and servers. No ordinance has been drafted by the beer board, but several specifics have been discussed, including what type of course could be offered, how much that would cost and whether such a training program would be mandated or incentive-based.

"The board wants to make sure that everybody out there is getting some kind of training," Cookeville city clerk Cathy McClain said during a work session held with board members last night. After a violation, she said, store owners often claim they do train their workers. "Well, everybody's doing it different," she continued. "But if we can come up with a way that is easy to understand and everybody gets it, at least we'll feel like we're doing our job."

It is the second work session the group has held in recent weeks to iron out several changes -- the beer board recently levied $9,000 in civil penalties after a February sting netted violations at seven Cookeville stores where a 17-year-old working in cooperation with the Cookeville Police Department was able to buy a 40-ounce Bud Light. In at least one instance, the clerk checked the teenager's real ID, and in another, no ID was requested at all.

The requirement of a state-approved responsible beverage service program -- where off-premise store clerks and cashiers and servers in restaurants that serve beer sit through a training class -- is likely coming down the pike. Kim Pouncey, who wrote the TopShelf program, and local instructor Randall Short sat in with the board last night, and another program, called TIPS, is also certified by the state.

At one time, the Cookeville Police Department offered its own program, and McClain says she plans to talk to officers about that option again. An attorney general's opinion in 1996 that the department shouldn't charge for the class essentially killed it, but both Nashville and Knoxville departments offer a paid program today. But before any ordinance can make its rounds, there still are several questions the beer board has to answer -- who will offer the training courses, what will a training program cost, how long will certification last, and after their hire, when do employees need to start the training. The board leaned toward making the classes mandatory versus incentive-based, although both ideas were thrown into the discussion.

None of the regulations discussed would apply to establishments that sold liquor-by-the-drink. Employees at those businesses are already required to obtain a serving permit from the state.

"I think it would be wonderful if you made it mandatory for everyone to take the RBS (responsible beverage service) training. You're asking a lot to be approved," said Kristi Allen, coalition coordinator for Power of Putnam, a partnership for a safe and drug-free community. Research, she said, from other cities similar in size showed incentive-based programs were effective -- if a clerk that had training violated a compliance check, fines would be reduced. If no training was offered, stiffer fines could be enforced.

"We actually have it as one of our long-term goals that all merchants are participating in involuntary RBS," Allen said. "We would love it if they were all doing that. If you make it mandatory, again that's great, but it works to do the incentive program."

Any ordinance drafted by the beer board will also have to receive the final OK from the Cookeville city council as well as initial approval by the city manager and city attorney, McClain said. Another work session is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Oct. 19.