Jasper Council approves changes to Downtown Outdoor Refreshment Area

The Jasper City Council approved several changes to the city’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) ordinance, expanding both the district’s boundaries and operating hours, while adding new vendors to the program.

During Wednesday’s meeting, council members approved Ordinance 2025.8, which makes multiple adjustments to the downtown social district where patrons can purchase and carry alcoholic beverages in designated cups while walking within specified boundaries.

Josh Gunselman, Director of Community Development/Planning, presented several recommended changes based on vendor feedback and operational experience since the program launched in 2024.

The council removed Plaid & Timber from the list of approved vendors since the business ceased operations last year. The council also approved adding Rice and Spice as a new DORA vendor.

A more significant change extends the DORA boundaries two blocks north on Main Street to include Snaps, a popular establishment that patrons frequently visit before or after downtown events.

“A reoccurring theme in that survey and in those conversations was that other vendors believe that Snaps should be included in that particular district because they believe that Snaps is part of the downtown scene,” Gunselman told the council. “People frequently walk from events here in the downtown area to Snaps and vice versa.”

After an extensive discussion, council members decided to limit the northern expansion to the west side of Main Street rather than including both sides of Main and extending to Jackson Street as initially proposed. This modification aims to minimize the number of residential properties included in the district.

“Originally the intent was to not include so many residential houses. And so by moving that over to Jackson, that’s all residential,” said Councilwoman Nancy Eckerle during discussion on the ordinance including Jackson Street.

Councilman Chad Lueken said he was in favor of including Snaps in the DORA but pointed out that under the DORA provision, a resident within the district is not allowed to come outside with their own alcoholic drink–drinks have to be served by approved vendors in the approved cups in the district.

Gunselman said he didn’t think the intent was to limit an individual’s right to drink an alcoholic beverage on their own property.

Eckerle doubled down though saying they shouldn’t have a law and not enforce it.

This led the discussion to exclude the area on the east side of Main Street dictating that the DORA would only cover the sidewalk on the west side of Main Street from the existing DORA boundary to Snaps.

Los Bravos has also indicated they wanted to be included in the DORA but the council has maintained it did not want the district to include any of the Riverwalk. The only way to connect the downtown area to Los Bravos would require pedestrians to use the Riverwalk. Due to this, the provision to add them was not included in the ordinance update.

The council also addresses operating hours, which currently run from noon to 9 p.m. Gunselman explained that the hours create confusion for staff at establishments that open before noon and don’t accommodate patrons leaving evening events after 9 p.m. Additionally, restaurants change their hours seasonally creating more confusion.

Gunselman also pointed to the Astra Theatre as another reason to extend the hours. He explained that when shows end at around 9 p.m., the attendees can’t continue to use the downtown area as it was intended. He added that the ordinance has “stunted their ability to sell and make money and we’ve also stunted our ability to have people socialize and hang out more in our downtown area.”

After the discussion, the council agreed to expand DORA hours to 10 a.m. until midnight, accommodating both earlier opening establishments and later evening events.

The initial approval was made with one dissenting vote. The ordinance will be considered for final reading before adoption at the May meeting.