NAMPA, Idaho — As you stroll the streets of downtown Nampa, you'll find shops and places to get a bite or a drink.
In an effort to create "family-friendly" locations in Nampa, Mayor Debbie Kling proposed an ordinance that will reserve their remaining 10 and all future available liquor licenses to restaurants.
"Our families want places that they can go as an entire family, and this gives that opportunity," Mayor Debbie Kling told KTVB. "Our downtown Nampa area, there are definitely more 21+ locations than there are locations that a family can go, especially eat."
Kling hopes the ordinance will encourage more restaurants to come to downtown Nampa, she said.
The council supported her idea, and on Aug. 5, the Nampa City Council unanimously passed the ordinance, which took effect on Aug. 9.
"We all agreed that protecting the future of our restaurants and giving them that business opportunity was important," Kling said.
In Idaho, each city is allocated a certain number of liquor licenses based on a population system. Nampa is allowed 77, and 10 of those are still available, now only for restaurants. When a future one opens, a restaurant will only take it.
KTVB asked the state's Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) whether or not cities are allowed to do this.
Captain Rocky Gripton said this is a newer trend they are seeing with a bigger push for more restaurants.
He added that the ordinance Nampa passed did not conflict with state statute.
"In addition to the state statute each city can license retail sale of liquor by the drink and the city may provide further regulations for the control of such business not in conflict with state code," according to Idaho Code 23-916.