Mower County could soon follow Austin’s lead to provide tools for law enforcement officials to punish people for hosting parties where minors consume alcohol.

The Mower County Board of Commissioners will hold a public meeting concerning a county social host ordinance at 11 a.m. during the Dec. 29 board meeting.

The Austin City Council unanimously passed a social host ordinance on Nov. 16.

County attorney Kristen Nelsen previously said a county ordinance would be a no-brainer if the city’s ordinance passed.

“It doesn’t make sense to have the law in the city but not the county. You could just cross the road (to have a party),” Nelsen said at a previous board meeting.

Nelson — who is on an area drug task force that presented the idea to city council — told the board that the ordinance would give parents, teachers and law enforcement officials another tool in combating underage drinking.

Enacting a social host ordinance means a person who allows minors to drink and doesn’t take steps to stop it will be punished with a misdemeanor.

Commissioner Dick Lang said he was glad that exceptions were added to the city ordinance concerning religious observations or instances when a minor consumes alcohol with only his or her parents around.

“I think it’s well written,” Lang said of the ordinance.

The county ordinance would apply to the county and townships, but not cities. Like Austin, individual cities in the county need to pass separate ordinances.

The commissioners will vote on the ordinance after the public hearing. Approving the ordinance at the Dec. 29 meeting would be beneficial, so the ordinance could be in place near the start of 2010, Nelsen said.

Without a comparable state law, law enforcement officials are turning to counties and cities to enact social host ordinances. St. Paul passed a social host ordinance in October, and Albert Lea passed an ordinance in December 2008.