Clearlake Mayor Judy Thein took an underage drinking ordinance to the Clearlake City Council in July, with the council passing the measure on July 26.
Drafted by Clearlake Police Chief Allan McClain, Clearlake's ordinance allows police to cite anyone throwing a party where minors are present and drinking alcohol if the minors' legal guardians aren't present, as Lake County News reported in July.
McClain said at the time that the ordinance allows police to address "an issue we couldn't touch before" when it comes to identifying underage drinking activities in private residences.
Thein said numerous California cities, including nearby Cloverdale, have passed similar ordinances.
A number of Clearlake citizens said they didn't believe the ordinance went far enough, especially in explaining the probable cause that would give officers the ability to investigate underage drinking at private residences. Others felt it was an intrusion.
Thein – whose 36-year-old daughter, Kellie, died in a collision caused by a drunk driver in December 2005 – pledged to take the ordinance to Lakeport and the county and ask them also to adopt similar measures.
She told Lake County News in a recent interview that she calls the measure “Kellie's Ordinance.”
“It carries Kellie's legacy forward,” said Thein, who explained that her a daughter worked for 17 years as a child's advocate and social worker.
At its upcoming meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 6, the Lakeport City Council will consider its own version of the ordinance, drafted by Police Chief Kevin Burke and City Clerk Janel Chapman.
Burke said his recommendation to the city was to basically adopt Clearlake's version.
“The strongest argument for it is that we have a consistency here,” said Burke. “We'll have a countywide standard as to what type of parental supervision is required at these gatherings.”
While Burke said Lakeport doesn't have an “overwhelming problem” with underage drinking in Lakeport, it's still a concern.
He said he believes the ordinance will help put a stop to underage drinking by holding adults responsible if they're allowing minors to drink alcohol.
“The minor in possession statute just doesn't address that, so there is a little hole there,” he said.
County Counsel Anita Grant drafted the county's version of the ordinance, which currently is under review by Sheriff Rod Mitchell.
“It's real close to what is being done across the state with regard to drinking,” said Grant.
There's a model “social host” ordinance being used across the state to approach the underage drinking issue, said Grant. The draft ordinance she crafted, which the Board of Supervisors has yet to see, is intended to emulate that model.
“I think it's really kind of a basis to get people's attention, to make them understand that you have certain responsibilities when people are in your home or on your property and engaging in the use of alcohol,” Grant explained.
There also are the social impacts, Grant said. “There can be a lot of carnage with drinking.”
Ultimately, the social impacts can be very hard to quantify, Grant said.
She said the ordinance is an attempt to ensure that people understand the harm to children, public health and safety, emergency services, health and property that can result from minors drinking alcohol.
“The way this ordinance reads, it gives a very comprehensive response to underage drinking,” she said.
The county's version of the ordinance, said Grant, should be coming to the board in the near future.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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