There has been some debate in Zelienople over a proposed open-container ban for alcoholic beverages on borough property, but the concept shouldn’t be a controversial one.

Borough Council proposed the ban during a meeting Monday, and some local leaders and business owners objected to the proposal’s language.

The ban would prohibit the carrying of open containers on borough property, although some exceptions would be made in certain circumstances.

This should ease some minds.

With the exception of Erie — where it’s still legal to drink alcohol in public parks — most places in Pennsylvania do not allow you to walk the streets with an open container.

The proposed open-container ban on public property likely won’t make much of a difference in the lives of Zelienople residents. At borough council’s meeting, some voiced concerns that such an ordinance wasn’t necessary, and worries were expressed that this could be detrimental to businesses that are already suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the takeaway here — as pointed out by Jim Miller, Zelienople’s police chief — is that the ordinance should not be viewed as an open-container ban, but rather a means of limiting the borough’s legal exposure.

“Open-container is one issue,” Miller said. “The issue is borough liability, the ability to control alcohol on borough property.”

He added that the ordinance doesn’t address outdoor events where alcohol might be sold, noting that a separate proposed amendment covering that issue would be considered at a March 8 meeting.

We agree with Matthew Edwards, president of the Zelienople Area Business Association, that a formal policy or permitting process by the borough for alcohol at public events is a good idea.

Events that are cordoned off, such as a concert or festival, should be able to get permits to allow vendors to sell alcohol on the premises. These should be included in the “certain-circumstances” exceptions in any ordinance passed.

And it’s good to hear that business owners and residents will, according to council President Allen Bayer, get to provide input on the matter.

Meanwhile, the consumption of alcohol is not prohibited in many private businesses. The only restriction in the ordinance would require that containers remain closed until those carrying them enter a business.

This is not a big sacrifice. We hope that any ordinance passed by the borough takes into consideration the needs of local businesses, and that outdoor events where alcohol is typically sold can still do so as long as rules are followed.

But banning open containers on borough property is otherwise not a bad idea.

— NCD