Though they won’t be included on the warrant for the annual Town Meeting in May, at least two other citizen petitions—written to ease seating requirements for liquor licenses—also entered the pipeline this week.
The first petition asks the Select Board to request a Home Rule petition to the state Legislature, authorizing the Select Board to issue at least 10 All-Alcohol Licenses to restaurants having a minimum seating capacity of 18 and a maximum seating capacity of 58 people. Currently, the minimum is 60 seats.
The second petition asks the Select Board to request a Home Rule petition to the state Legislature authorizing the Select Board to issue Wine and Malt Restaurant Beverage Only Licenses to restaurants having a minimum seating capacity of 12 people. Right now, a minimum of 39 seats is required.
“There are some restaurants that are that big, but most of the restaurants don’t qualify,” said Max Colice, who drafted the petition with Carol Berberian. “They’re too small.”
In addition to offering existing businesses a way to grow their bottom line, Berberian said easing the seating capacity might encourage prospective restaurants to open in town.
“We do have smaller spaces available, and if you can only have a certain number of seats … you’ll most likely choose another town,” she said.
According to Colice and Berberian, the petitions grew from recent conversations around economic development.
“There is an immediate interest and really a need for some of these people,” Berberian told Select Board members on April 7. “They’ve talked about how tight their margins are and how this could move the needle and change things.”
To be considered by the Select Board as a warrant article for Town Meeting, at least 10 signatures are required. To bypass the Select Board and trigger the request for a special Town Meeting, petitioners must collect 200 signatures. Berberian said they received more than 30 signatures.
Though supportive of the concept, the Select Board ultimately agreed the petitions would benefit from a public approval process before being presented to Town Meeting. Select Board Chair Elizabeth Dionne assured petitioners the petition would be considered within the calendar year, likely at a fall special Town Meeting.
“A month before Town Meeting, my office is going to, understandably, have to answer questions,” said Town Administrator Patrice Garvin. “I can’t tell you I’ll be prepared to give those answers, and we shortchange Town Meeting.”
