The Ames City Council is doing what it can to comply with Iowa State University President Martin Jischke’s decision to make Veishea an alcohol-free event.

At the city council meeting Tuesday night, two ordinances were combined and passed unanimously to help in this goal.

Ordinance No. 3474 amends the Ames Municipal Code to enact a new Section 17.32 preventing the consumption of alcoholic beverages by minors at parties.

Ordinance No. 3474 amends the Municipal Code to enact a new Section 17.30 pertaining to definition and regulation of nuisance parties.

The ordinances were developed by the Mayor’s Veishea Task Force and are part of a three-step program to help in cooperation with the Veishea activities, the community and the citizens of Ames.

“These ordinances place responsibility on those persons or parties sponsoring parties, to more religious identification of those coming to the parties, and checking to make sure they are of age to consume alcohol,” Ames mayor Ted Tedesco said.

The ordinances also deal with the responsibility of property owners, landowners and tenants to be aware of what goes on at parties on their property, and prevent damage before it gets out of hand, Tedesco said.

Another step in the special committee’s plan was to send out a pledge to appropriate liquor license holders.

The pledge asks them to enforce all the rules and regulations of selling alcohol and encouraging them not to run sale prices on alcohol during the week before Veishea weekend.

Pledges were sent to 96 license holders, and 30 have responded to the committee agreeing to the pledge.

After March 1, letters will be sent to the remaining license holders that have not responded, and after April 1, the rest will receive personal phone calls and visits encouraging the pledge.

Prior to Veishea, which will be held April 18 and 19, the task force will run newspaper articles and advertisements thanking those who signed the pledge.

The third step in the mayor’s plan is a neighborhood watch program.

“We want to make all neighborhoods aware of the new ordinances, particularly those with apartments, and encourage them to report parties before they get too out of control,” Tedesco said.

The Ames Police will issue citations and arrest those in violation of the new ordinances, and if convicted, a fine will be assessed.

Tedesco hopes all will “cooperate in trying to make a safe Veishea celebration for students and the citizens of Ames.”