CHELSEA – The Chelsea City Council unanimously voted to pass the “Social Host Liability Ordinance,” which makes it a municipal violation to serve alcohol to minors and underage adults, at a regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

According to Mayor Tony Picklesimer, serving alcohol to minors is already against state law.

“This ordinance makes it an offense to bring this into the city,” Picklesimer said.

Picklesimer said the council decided to create the ordinance after meeting with representatives of Compact 2020, a program designed to raise awareness and prevent drug and alcohol abuse and addiction.

“One of the reason s underage drinking is a problem is that parents throw parties for underage kids and then look the other way,” Picklesimer said.

While the purpose of the ordinance is to help combat underage drinking, Picklesimer said it will not create any additional penalties for those who are caught violating the ordinance.

In other council news, the city also passed an ordinance to adopt Rule 20, Appendix B of the Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration in order to establish a fine schedule for the city’s new municipal court system.

Picklesimer said the city’s first municipal court will be held at 4 p.m. on the third Monday in December and will cover traffic and other city ordinance violations that were cited beginning on Nov. 1.