The Hospitality Resource Alliance is comprised of bar, tavern, and alcohol retail outlet owners working with law enforcement, the liquor control board, and city government to reduce alcohol product availability to minors, alcohol consumption by minors, and over-service to intoxicated individuals, and to promote consistency among alcohol licensees. 

The HRA is chaired by a member of the downtown hospitality industry, and meetings are called as necessary to provide education, proactively address issues, or to respond to problems communicated through the city council. 

On-going efforts include facilitating training on a quarterly basis on ID check and over service, for employees of businesses with liquor licenses and for volunteers for downtown community festivals involving alcohol. The training is conducted by a Liquor Control Board Enforcement Officer and includes information about pertinent state and local laws, how to check IDs, recognizing signs of intoxication, how to decline sales/service to an intoxicated person, and impact of violating law, on both the server and the business. The training also covers the importance of each business having a written policy for staff, and the HRA provides model business policies for businesses to use.

These efforts provide value both for the downtown and for the business owner, under WA State law. WA Administrative Code (WAC) 314-29-015, added language that provides for “mitigating factors” ( http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=314-29-015). These mitigating factors, that may result in a business getting fewer days of suspension and/or a lower fine in case of inadvertent violation of liquor law, include having a signed acknowledgment of the business' alcohol policy on file for each employee and having an 

Downtown surveys to establish baseline data: 
Summary: Downtown Perception Of Problem Survey 
Summary of survey of downtown businesses with a license to sell/serve alcohol