In preparation for the Live at the Plaza event series held at the Government Plaza in downtown Tuscaloosa, the Tuscaloosa City Council voted 4-1 this past Tuesday in favor of creating an entertainment district, which will prohibit the “bring your own alcohol” policy that existed for the past three years the series was held.

The new entertainment district policy will be in effect during the Live at the Plaza series, between 4 and 11 p.m. on Fridays from April 28 to July 28. According to the Tuscaloosa News, under the new policy, public attendees are not able to bring their own alcoholic beverages.

However, restrictions on consumption of alcohol will be relaxed, thus, allowing the event’s participants to seek adult beverages at the bars surrounding government plaza and bring the newly-purchased open containers out of the establishment and into the surrounding streets and plaza.

Those in favor of the creation of the entertainment district cite that the previous policy allowing attendees to bring their own alcohol created a liability for the city of Tuscaloosa, such that city officials could be held responsible for any accidents.

“We risk the financial ruin of every employee who touches the event and every elected official who authorized it,” Mayor Walter Maddox said on Tuesday as the City Council prepared to vote on the matter. “I know we have constituents who see it another way, but they don’t have to worry about the City of Tuscaloosa and its 1,400 employees.”