FAIRMONT — Following a lengthy discussion, the Fairmont Board of Commissioners on Thursday took no action on adopting an ordinance that would permit the sale of alcohol at the Fairmont Community Park.

Fairmont’s Chamber of Commerce intends to hold a community event at the park, and requested that the board allow alcohol sales. The new ordinance would allow anyone with an ABC permit to sell alcoholic beverages.

The board’s main concern was town liability.

“The problem is that if someone is serving alcohol in the park with the permit and there is an accident surrounding the alcohol and they don’t have that certificate of liability, who are they going to come to?” Commissioner J.J McCree said.

Town Manager Linda Vause said that Fairmont’s South Robeson Heritage Center has a policy that requires alcohol sellers to have an ABC permit, a certificate insurance and the presence of law enforcement officers at an event. Vause will add the same requirements to the ordinance, as well as specific hours and designated areas of the park where alcohol can be sold, which will come before the board for approval at its April meeting.

Also on Thursday, Mayor Charles Kemp gave Christa Thorndyke, the vice president of the Fairmont Youth TEAM Council, the chance to use his gavel to call the meeting of to order.

“They are going to provide a platform and a means for the young people in high school who have an interest in offering their talents, energy and time to do useful and worthwhile things,” Kemp said while introducing the members of the council, which works to provide students out-of-school activities.

Sandra Pridgen, a social worker at Fairmont High School, said that council will benefit students at the high school.

“We’re tired of hearing that we haven’t got anything to offer and we do,” Pridgen said. “We’ve just got to find a way to spotlight the things that we do have here.”

Kemp said that his experience in public schools has taught him a lot about youths.

“Being a public school teacher in high school for 40 years, I can tell you that kids are starved,” Kemp said. “They want something to do.”

Kemp said that students in the high school will have the support of the town and its commissioners.

“I’m committed,” he said. “I’m going to use the power of this office to give the kids out there anything I can do help them.”

The Fairmont Youth TEAM Council meets once a week, on Tuesdays, and all students at Fairmont High School students are welcome to participate.

In other action, the board:

— Recognized Police Officer Casey Locklear for going beyond the call of duty to help a town resident.

— Approved to update the municipal’s records retention schedule to three years, where documents will be reviewed for retention or disposal when it reaches that time limit.

— Heard from Town Manager Linda Vause who reported that the clarifier at the waste water treatment has been repaired for $24,865 and a new engineer has been assigned to the sewer rehabilitation project.