Party hosts will pay price

In response to growing concerns over underage alcohol consumption, Ventura County officials have passed a social host ordinance that would allow authorities to cite party hosts with a $1,000 fine.

The Board of Supervisors approved a first reading of the ordinance on April 4. The law should be finalized on April 18, if all goes according to plan. The law applies to all residents of Oak Park.

A civil fine imposed against social hosts and landowners would enable the county to recover costs associated with responding to loud and unruly gatherings where young people consume alcohol.

It could help prevent underage drinking at home and reduce drunk driving, said Geoff Dean, chief deputy with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. The law will allow deputies to cite hosts without going to court, he said.

East County authorities receive five or six calls per weekend reporting underage parties. But under the current rules, deputies can't do much aside from dispersing the gatherings, said Daniel Hicks, administrator for the Ventura County Limits Project, a community partnership for responsible alcohol practice and policies.

"Authorities can't hold people accountable unless they can prove that the host is contributing to the delinquency of minors, which is a criminal offense that requires evidence," Hicks said.

"Home parties are the number one environment where young people get drunk," he said. The ordinance was created to stop rowdy parties and damaging behavior.

Supervisor Judy Mikels was concerned that the ordinance's original wording was too broad and neighbors could use it against each other simply for harassment. But the wording was changed and the sheriff's department assured Mikels that the intent isn't to hunt for violators, she said.

The cities of Ojai and Fillmore have already implemented a social host law, and Moorpark officials are working on an ordinance that will mirror the county's version, according to Moorpark Police Capt. Jeff Matson.