Longmont’s controversial proposed ordinance that requires restaurants to offer only sugar-free beverages on their children’s menus faces a public hearing and City Council vote Tuesday night.
The healthy beverages ordinance is backed by St. Vrain Healthy Kids and Healthy Longmont as well as Boulder County Public Health as a way to reduce the negative impact of surgery beverages on childhood obesity, according to a city staff report.
The draft ordinance makes healthy beverages - water with no added sugar, or dairy milk or non-dairy milk substitute with no added sugar - the default beverage with advertised children’s meals, the staff report states.
The ordinance does not prohibit a restaurant’s ability to sell, or a customer’s ability to purchase, any other beverage that is available if requested by the purchaser of the children’s meal, the staff report states.
City staff in June reached out to restaurant owners and the general public to let them know about the proposal and to gauge their opinions about the ordinance.
The city received 297 total responses (292 in English, five in Spanish) while nine responses were from restaurant owners, the staff report states.
Five restaurant owners indicated they support the ordinance while four owners did not support the measure. Among community members, 46% supported the measure and 54% opposed it, the report states.
Supporters indicated, in part, that the ordinance would be a small “thing” that can help reduce obesity and that it would be a simple way to create big change.
Detractors said, in part, that the city has no right to regulate how people raise their children and that the ordinance “infringes on our freedom, is overreach, and micromanaging,” the staff report states.
The second reading of the ordinance and public hearing will be part of the meeting which begins at 7 p.m. in council chambers, 350 Kimbark St. Masks are required for city staff and members of the public that attend the meeting in accordance with Boulder County Public health orders.
