By Linda Stinnett

The Derby Community Foundation’s Uncorked event is part of a citywide pilot project designed to test public events which allow alcohol consumption.

The pilot was approved this past summer and gave the OK to the alcohol consumption at the National Bar-B-Que Derby held in September in High Park and Uncorked, which will be held Feb. 25 at the Derby Public Library.

Theresa Hearn, executive director of the Derby Community Foundation, said when the organization began discussing an upscale of its annual fundraiser, it was intrigued with a winetasting event which had been a success for an organization in Wichita. As that discussion and planning evolved, board members expressed a desire to have the event at the Derby Public Library.

City Manager Kathy Sexton was on the board and in on the discussion, but the event was not one which she could approve. She suggested the foundation take its request to the council, Hearn said.

At about the same time, planning for the barbecue was under way, so the city staff looked at both in relation to the city ordinances which ban alcohol consumption in public places. An overall plan to allow alcohol consumption had met with some fairly stiff opposition in the community, so city staff proposed the two-event pilot project.

“They saw the Community Foundation has a great tradition and encouraged us,” Hearn said. The foundation event will be held on a Saturday evening, after the library is closed to the public.

Hearn said the event also limits the wine tasters to 2 ounces at a time. In addition, Club Liquor is bringing 12 staff members to assist with the tasting. All are trained and experienced in dealing with liquor in a public situation, Hearn said.

 “They are going to be very cognizant of watching people,” she said.

The business used to participate in Wichita’s Zoobilee event, she said, and Derby’s Uncorked event will be much smaller. That scale should also aid in the control of any potential problem, Hearn said.

“The purpose of people coming is to help our grant program and have a great time,” she said.

The city’s pilot program automatically sunsets after the Uncorked event. The city council will have to either extend or broaden the program through new action to allow other future special event uses, according to a report by City Manager Kathy Sexton, when the pilot was approved.