 Pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021 and extended again by Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2023, this meeting will be conducted by a review means. Members of the public who wish to access the meeting may do so in the following manner by emailing stevemccarthys.gov. That's m-c-c-a-r-t-h-y-s at mrstma.gov. No in-person attendance of members of the public will be permitted, but every effort will be made to ensure the public can adequately access the proceedings in real time by a technological means. In the event we are unable to do so for reasons of economic hardship and despite best efforts, we will post on the Amherst website an audio or video recording transcript or other comprehensive record proceedings as soon as possible after the meeting. With that done, we'll call the meeting to order at 5.03 p.m. Take a quick roll call of attendance. Here. Here. Gaston. Here. And I am here. So we are three present with two absent. And now we do go into public comment. Is there anyone here? Oh, sorry, Gaston. Just to note, I think it's telling me that we're still in a practice session. Oh, Steve. Oh, yes. You are right. I started recording, but I did not. Thank you, Gaston. Okay. Okay. I didn't see that. I was reading my script. All right. So do we have to go back and redo the whole thing? Yes. Okay. Yeah. All right. Hold on. Hold on. Let me get back to my. All right. Are we out of the practice session? We are. Yeah. I have corrected the issue. And we're recording. Yes. Okay. Pursuant to chapter 20 of the acts of 2021 and extended again by chapter two of the acts of 2023. This meeting will be conducted by a remote means members of the public who wish to access the meeting may do so in the following manner by emailing Steve McCarthy at McCarthy s at Amherst m a dot gov. That's m c c a r t h y s at Amherst m a dot gov. No in person attendance of members of the public will be permitted, but every effort will be made to ensure the public can accurately adequately access the proceedings in real time via technological means. And the event we are unable to do so for reasons of economic hardship and despite best efforts, we will post on the Amherst website and audio or video recording transcript or other comprehensive record of proceedings as soon as possible after meeting. And with that done, we'll call the meeting to order at 505 p.m. and take a roll call of attendance. Pally. Here. Gaston. Here. And I'm here. Three here and two absent. Right. Okay, great. So public comment. Is there anyone here for public comment. And there is no one here at all. So we can just skip on to discussion topics. The first one is marijuana regulation Gaston we had a conversation with Dylan about that last time. Okay, and went over some things. And he was going to go over it again. And I think it was going to go to the town council. Is that correct, Steve? The marijuana regulations. Yes. Oh, here he is. Here's Dylan. Okay. Oh, Dylan. Oh, yeah. Good. How are you? All right. Oh, all right. Weather. Okay. So we are actually, we are, um, we have gone through public comment and calling to order and we're on discussion topic. A, I think marijuana regulation, and I was wondering if you had an update and. Yep, I do. I have, I should have sent this to save my apologies for you guys for review. But, um, I, uh, yeah, I did the changes that we talked about. I can show you guys just the, um, if I can get over to my Google docs here. Share my screen so you folks can see, uh, and then I'll give everybody kind of a chance, um, to actually review it and then we can vote on it next time. But I think it's based on kind of what we talked about, unless I have something should all be here. Give me just one sec. While you're picking that up, I, um, I have a law professor who has become kind of an expert on cannabis law and he presented at UMass a couple of weeks ago. He has a new book called, uh, weed rules. Um, I bought a copy Dylan so I can, I can lend it to you. But, uh, anyway, it's, it was interesting to hear his perspective on how much has changed and how much has stayed the same in the, in the regulation of cannabis. Awesome. Yeah. I'd love to check that out. Um, all right. Where is. Uh, Steve, can you give me the ability to share my screen? Steve, I think you're co-hosting now. You should be able to know Dylan. Yeah. Got it. Awesome. Um, I should have, where is it? So yeah, it's, um, the change I made, I took the authority there. Um, that one I'd actually taken from, um, I was looking through best way to do it. I actually found the Doug's old regulations. So I've taken some stuff out of there as well. So that's what I have for authority. Um, definitions are still the same. Uh, license guidance. Again, changed a couple of things here of just, uh, again, rather than be point to Mass General Law, um, Chapter 138, just saying Massachusetts General Laws. Um, not getting too specific with that because I don't think it's quite there yet. Um, in terms of Mass General Law with marijuana, maybe after reading this book, we'll, uh, might make some amendments. But everything else here is kind of kept the same as what we talked about. I kept measure of record basically same as we talked about before. Um, employees, we, uh, simplified it a little bit there. Um, and then everything else is the same other than just a disciplinary procedure. I'm just not sure how to word this one in accordance with section two of these regulations. Um, like, that's, that's what we like just referring to the authority, I think was, I think the way we decided or that I wanted to go about that unless somebody, uh, had a different approach. I think that makes sense. What do you guys think about that? No, I'm sorry. I'm just, uh, reading it carefully here. Okay. What, uh, the, what, what, the question is how to, whether to refer internally to the authority of the. Yeah, because I know, uh, yeah, I guess, I guess it was, uh, for, um, for alcohol regulations, it, um, it, it cites like specifically, you know, chapter 138 and this and that. This case, we're kind of take more broad authority because everything's, you know, so still so new with marijuana. I don't think it's a very definitive chapter in mass general law. Uh-huh. That I just said, well, we'll section two, because that just refers to kind of the general authorities. Section, section two. Of, of these regulations. Okay. Yep. Which then refers back to just our, our authority section. Um, because typically with, when we see these in, um, alcohol regulations, it just quickly sites in accordance with chapter, uh, 138 of Massachusetts general law, right? We'll say something like that where I think where we should just keep it more broad until there's, you know, Massachusetts chapter section to 57 or whatever that, that refers to how towns deal with, um, marijuana. So you said just, just refer back to the authority. Um, I don't know if anybody has a better way. I mean, I guess if you're, if the sentence is just referring back up to the language, it's above in the regulation, I guess instead of in accordance with, I'd say, as set forth in, um, I mean, it's a minor. That's a, that would be my word suggestion. And then in section two, it's where you're saying in accordance with the general laws or whatever. Right. It's set forth in section two of these regulations before imposing. Yeah. Um, and then, uh, and this is the, the last one there, because I know we were talking about this a little bit and it did. I think it applied more to like something like a restaurant than necessarily a marijuana store, but we decided, um, do we, we did. Do we like this one? This is the one I was trying to think about it again. Like, it seems a little weird, but do we, do we like this one that, you know, you can still operate and just not sell marijuana? I don't know if they still sell CBD oil or something. Right. Paraphragalia. Yeah. Cool. Um, if we like it, then we can just keep it in here. I don't, I don't see a reason for it, but other than that, uh, reason necessarily to get rid of it. But, um, if we like it, then that's, that's pretty much everything there. I'll send it to you guys, uh, this meeting just for review and then make any changes because I just opened it and realized I saw one more area. I missed a 138, but stuff like that. And then if we like it, we can adopt them next week. Does that all sound good? Um, yeah, I think so. So did we, I can't remember from last meeting, were we going to send this by through town council before we? Yeah, I think I was waiting for, um, for some of these updates so I can send them along to him tomorrow. Okay. And, um, and yeah, I think we should, um, yeah, move carefully with this because things will be a very impactful regulation. So, um, we can go bring it through him and, and, uh, have anybody else come, come back with any, uh, any of the board members come back for any other suggestions they have and, um, try to take a really close look at it before we, uh, we move to a vote. But it looks like it's in good shape as it is. Cool. Yeah. All right. Um, yeah. So there we are. I'll, uh, I'll share it out with you guys and, um, yeah, we can go from there. Okay. Great. Thanks Dylan. You got it. Um, next up is hold on. Lunch carts and food trucks on pray street. All right, Steve, how's it going? It seems to be going well. Um, we have been it twice now. The second time was this past Friday. And we again had a rooster's rowing cantina and Lavera Cruz on a present. They, um, you know, seems to be running safely and with no disturbances. Um, first kind of conflicting reports about, um, how much business they're getting and how, how, um, you know, if it's really worth their time to come out. Um, so, um, it will be going again this Friday. Only roosters will be able to go there, but, um, I think we'll be not running it for the Thanksgiving weekend. Um, but, um, for December, um, first or second that weekend, um, I think we may try to do it on Saturday because I've heard that, um, Friday for whatever reason is really not a, uh, a big bar night anymore. So that will be able to get them some more business, but I think this has been a great, uh, proof of concept so far really been no disturbances, no problems at all. Police are totally fine with it. Um, food trucks, um, since you're grateful to be there, although, um, some wish there was a little bit more business and, uh, and, um, yeah, when they say they get positive reports from customers. Fantastic. Sounds good. Thank you for that, Steve. Yes. Um, yeah, one, yeah, thank you for that. Um, uh, I know I've gone over and chatted with those folks, I think last Friday. And yeah, they'd said that that it just hadn't been that busy, but it was particularly quiet in town for a Friday. I was, um, I was surprised. But, uh, so the plan right now with this is it's going to be, um, Fridays and then you're trying out Saturdays after Thanksgiving. Am I correct about that? Yeah, I can't imagine the Thanksgiving weekend will be too busy. So I figured, um, probably not worth the trouble for that one. Um, but then the one after that would be, um, you know, I had to kind of run it by the DPW and the police department to see if they'd be okay with Saturday. Um, and by the time I did hear that we kind of were locked in for this Friday, although only one will be coming anyway. Um, but for the December 2nd, I believe that Saturday would be doing it on a Saturday to see how that works. Okay. And this is successful. We could do it both days, but pilot program for now and seeing how it goes. So how long until this pilot program ends? I don't know if we really have a firm timeline on that. I mean, I know that the town manager is limited with how many days he can close the public way without town council action. So I think that, um, you know, over the winter break for the colleges, um, probably be reassessing and looking at, uh, you know, we want this to continue and maybe with town council action. Interesting. Um, okay. Thank you, Steve. But the town manager has been supportive. He, um, you know, he, he thought it was a good idea and wanted to give it a try. So he did, uh, you know, we had some conversations with the town council members and town manager to use his, um, his authority to temporarily close the public way. And, um, the town, so the, the, the ability to license the food truck slides of the license commission. Um, and for these things has been delegated to the town or the building commissioner as is in the regulations, but for actually the closing of the public way would lie with the town manager, the town council. So the town manager has been using his temporary authority for this pilot program, but should it be successful and we want to continue it would be the town council that would ultimately have the authority to close the public way for an ongoing program. Yeah. And then we just change the, um, send them some new language on that. Um, send to the town council for them to vote on. Um, do we just. I think we have to, I'm not exactly sure. And I think, I think it's just an act they can take they have the authority and they would just have to use that authority to. You know, the, I don't know exactly some kind of vote, I'm sure, but they would just deem the. The road closures ongoing for this program at the specific time. So. Okay. Oh, so I see. So it wouldn't be a matter of, uh, granting us authority. With when that, when the, the, the select board, the kind of the power of the. Got split between the town council and the board of license commissioner. So it wouldn't be rectifying anything like that. It would just be something to do as a separate act. Yeah, the license commission has already been delegated the authority over food trucks. So. Right. Okay. License commission could just say we're going forward, but wouldn't be the best idea with the road wide open. So. Okay. Work with all the stakeholders and try to make it a successful program. I may reach out. It's only been those two who've been interested so far. I thought there would be more interest, but there really hasn't been from food trucks. So I may try to reach out to some neighboring towns for their list of licensees and spread the word so that maybe more will come. I think we were hoping for at least three a night, but it's really just been the same to so far on the two nights. Okay. All right. That would be great. Any other questions about this? If not, thanks again, Steve. That's great. Thanks for doing that. Um, okay, process for chair and vice chair elections. And we talked about this a little bit last time. And. I think the consensus was that we were going to wait till was it June, July. Or. The reappointments are in January. Is that, is that right? I think so. And I, I think, um, I think my, my term will be up in January, I believe. Oh, it is. Okay. I think maybe both of ours, Mary, and I think we were together. Oh, we're January 2024. They were. They were three year appointments. So I guess, I guess they're up and, um, I, I guess I will forecast that I, I, um, I understand I may be getting appointed to the affordable housing trust. And I think I can only kind of carry one thing right now. And so I may, uh, I think I will not ask for a renewal of my appointment. Okay. Oh, well, I assuming that that goes through. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Well, um, well, thanks for letting us know. We're of course very sorry. Sorry to lose you, but, um, I totally understand. Back home. Oh yeah. Thank you for this board. Thank you. Yeah. Well, yeah, we'll have to get, uh, have a get together. Um, uh, And maybe beginning of next year. Okay. All right. I think we said July because I think Steve mentioned. Don't we operate now? I think we're shifting to. Uh, fiscal, like, I think the terms end in June is that why we talked about a July. I think so. So we might have you a little bit longer or you might. Okay. All right. Well, we'll see. I'll keep you guys posted. Okay. All right. Thanks, Gaston. Yep. I think you're right about it all being in June. I think that was supposed to be staggered. Um, Determines were kind of staggered, but I do think they were all in the summer. So, um, okay. All right. I guess we'll, we'll, I guess it's probably on the website. Um, I think we have. It was because the town council was new and we needed to be appointed. So maybe we started earlier. Okay. Okay. I started in June. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I think you're right about it all being in June. I think that was supposed to be staggered. Determines were kind of staggered, but I think that was supposed to be staggered. I started in June. Yeah. Okay. Okay. I see. All right. Well, Yeah. Um, yeah, me, me too. Um, I, um, uh, but I guess I'll keep you guys posted. Well, let's, let's, uh, figure this out. I guess. Um, the, my appointment was. In January of 21. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The initial members were all in. Oh, the initial. Because it was kind of created, but, um, I see town council went into. I don't, I guess I don't know if I have an email of the reappointment, although I must. That couldn't have been the first one because you were an initial member guests on. And, um, we were certainly around before COVID. Right. So, and if it's three year appointments, I, I mean, I see this memo from Paul January 26, 21. Um, so I don't know. I guess we'll, we'll, we'll figure it out. It may have been delayed due to, um, COVID and everything. Yeah, we'll have to figure it out. Okay. Okay. Very good. But anyway, for elections, I could be remembering wrong, but my understanding was, um, that we wanted to just hold off until, um, all five members were here. Um, yes. And I think we were going to wait until July. That's okay. So we will, I will note that down and we will drop this until July then. Okay. And then when Doug is, when we have all five, we can probably nail it down. All right. So I'll leave it on the agenda for next time then. Okay. Great. I think this Gaston wasn't here. So I think the consensus was last time that. Neither Dylan nor her. Uh, hi, nor Doug wanted to take over as, as chair. And so unless you had a burning design. Yeah. No, no, no. So I, I, we may have had. It's like, um, like seven up. This might be the own election, Mary. Congratulations. Oh man. I think that's why we said, Gaston, that's why we said we would wait. Yeah. Because it is a burning desire. Yeah. Exactly. All right. Um, but if anyone resigns, clearly that. You know, we could do a kind of a working document of when elections are. And if someone resigns, if that's a trigger. Yeah. Yeah. That would be nice. So. Okay. Okay. All right. So that will go on for next agenda. Um, any other questions about discussion topic C. No. All right, licensing fee. Oh, sorry, Dylan. Go ahead. I'm sorry. We're still keeping the election on the agenda for next meeting. I think we're going to talk about it further. And we're waiting for, we're hoping. Oh, in terms of picking when we actually do it. Got it. Right. Yeah. And we're waiting for Doug for all five to be here. So that. Do we. I'm just going to put this out right here right now. I'm going to say in case I can't make it next week. I'm just saying so you guys can continue to discuss without me. Okay. I think elections June. Or yeah, June 1st. First meeting after June appointments happen is when I think there should be an election every year. I'm going to put out there as well that I think even if somebody drops off, we have to reappoint unless the chair or the vice chair is the person who drops off. I think the term would continue till June. And it would be one year term every year. I think it's going to be one year term. I think it's going to be one year term. I think it's going to be one year term. I think it's going to be one year term. To revoke. So that way, if I'm not here, you guys don't have to kick it down. We know your view. Makes sense. That is my view. All right. All right. Sounds reasonable. So what you're saying is you don't want us to have an election while you're not here. Hey, you guys got four books. You want to go for it. You go for it. Well, you might end up chair. Yeah. Okay. All right. Onto the next one. D licensing fee review. So Steve, this is that we still have a window of opportunity. I believe so. Yep. We're still still conversations with that going on. What really jumps out to me is the disparity between the wine and malt on premises and the all alcohol on premises. Right. With one being a thousand and the latter being 3500. But yeah, if there's anything else that jumps out to anybody. Or Steve, would you be inclined to level up or level down? I mean, I don't think, you know, there certainly isn't any pressure to raise fees or anything. It's not a, you know, the town needs more revenue type of open window is just kind of, I think it's budget season. I think that's what's prompted it. So, so it's just kind of, you know, if anything seems out of whack, it's a good time to kind of get it into whack. One thing I proposed or at least floated the idea of was eliminating the common Vixler's license because it seems like it's really serves no regulatory purpose at all. Maybe in, you know, 1870 when it was written it did, but I think we've evolved past that with food licensing and everything. And if you, I was looking through the statute again, there's some really crazy things in there where if the, the license commission or the board of selectmen approves a common Vixler's license for a licensee that is not in compliance with the regulations, then the board or more selectmen are personally liable for $50 fees for doing so. And for anything in this, in that chapter that the licensee is not in compliance with in chapter 140 also includes like gun licensing and all kinds of crazy things. So, and I think, I think that they're in holders are mandatory required to provide a bed for any traveler who may come upon them if they're a license. So I don't know if no vacancy laws may be illegal, no vacancy signs may be illegal. I don't know. But it definitely seems like an archaic law that does not really any regulatory oversight for and in the interests of trying to streamline things for new businesses and make things easier. It would make sense. And I don't know if we can even choose to not, not issue common Vixler's licenses anymore, or if you have to be a town council action or what would need if it's possible for the town to do it or what would happen. So I'm going to reach out to Brian Riley and I'll send that along with those marijuana regulations. And I'll just, if you can just send those to me, Dylan, just as a reminder. I mean, I would say the only thing the common Vic does is it provides a voice for the community to weigh in. Not that we really hear about it, but weigh in on a new business that the town is going to, you know, because I don't think people, the health department posts, so there's a way for like neighbors to offer feedback. That's just me being playing devil's advocate. No, yeah, that's, that's a good point. It is only public forum for a restaurant that doesn't have liquor, I suppose. And I was just wondering if this may not be relevant at all, but since we have a snack regulation in our alcohol regulations, would that, like can we require that without a common Vic or is it, I mean, one is not dependent on the other, correct? It actually, that's a good point. We should probably review our existing regulations to make sure nothing is contingent on that, but I mean, anything could be adjusted. Okay. I mean, pretty much everybody who has a common Vic would either have a hotel license or a food license or a liquor license. Right. Okay. Any other questions or reactions Dylan? When was the last time we dealt with just a common Vic and we like met the people proposing? I think the most recent one was just a couple of weeks ago. There was the new taco place. I forget what it's called over right by Hazels where Hazels was. That's the other places in Worcester and. Yeah. Oh yeah. That was just common Vic. Yeah. They come up pretty frequently. I mean, any restaurant that doesn't have a liquor would be in that category of, that's the only exposure license commission. Okay. So they don't have live entertainment or something, but usually they would. And Steve, there's there's another statutory category that would apply to a restaurant that we would be able to use instead to avoid the arcade stuff. My completely uneducated guess just by reading the statutes that the common Vic was maybe intended as kind of like a proto health license and maybe like a proto anti-discrimination just in the way it allows for the license to be revoked. And it says, you know, you have to provide for anybody who may come along. So I'm guessing, you know, if Typhoid Mary was cooking up flap jacks at your restaurant in 1890, the select man could pull the license. If everybody was getting sick, but I think all those all those are kind of taken up by the modern health license and, you know, we have certainly have modern civil rights law and things like that. I mean, I guess. Yeah. I mean, I think if, you know, we went through the whole process of trying to articulate what was important for the alcohol licenses, which, you know, we still have it's still hard to identify what would be the valid criteria to reject one of them, but it's clear. I don't could we articulate what are the criteria for a common Vic applicant? I mean, if we can't say what what the criteria are, I think that way strongly in favor of getting rid of it. I think the only one really comes to mind right away is, you know, somebody of a good character, you know, it's a vague one, but it's it's that type of thing. When you see that one was like, God, that's that's what it means when someone isn't a good character. Yeah. Right. But we we have trouble. It's hard to, you know, in retrospect, we we would have been really hard pressed to know that the Porta owner was that character. Yeah. So I kind of see the character requirement as a kind of the opposite of what Steve was saying, which is the like, we keep out quote unquote undesirables, which is whichever group is not welcome in a given town. Yeah. I just see even the purpose of a lot of the regulation we do, both common Vic and even the the alcohol or marijuana, I feel like a part of it is even just to say hello to the people in town here. Yeah. It has that value just like, all right, well, you know, on on behalf of the neighbors of Amherst, where you could be like, all right, so yeah, who are you that's moving on in here? All right. Okay. Kind of a kind of a hello, because I mean, I almost feel like there there isn't a criteria of denial for a lot of these things where I feel like the criteria is, can you in a in a very brief five minute hello with like some local people, can you alienate us all so much that we would vote? No. Yeah. That's that's almost the criteria. So it's more of a hello, I think, than anything else, as long as the fee for something like a common Vic is, you know, reasonably low. I don't have for paying for each time. You know, since you brought it, you did bring up Porta, I just remember after that happened going online and Googling him and filing finding that he had cases pending against him in different states. So, and I don't know if that would have been enough, like if we'd seen, Oh, this is coming up on this next Thursday. And we look this guy up and say, right? What are these, you know, what are these legal cases? It's been enough to turn it down. Well, I guess my reaction is that that is a very interesting thought experiment. But the conclusion of that would be that we have to add stuff to our process. Right. Because we're not doing right background checks. We're not, we're not evaluating. Cases anyone may have against them or their police record or anything. Are we allowed to do that or not? They just take what they get on. Like we just whatever they have on the application, that's what we get. I mean, is that, I don't think it would be illegal to do more, more diligence, like to do a. Yeah, we could. I mean, I think we could do like the deep search on someone and try to find. If we, if we thought it was important and. Have the time and resources to do it. But would that, would that improve. The quality of our, of what we do. I mean, I actually think about not just this deal and something, but welcome to the community. But I look at tools as an opportunity. For people to. I mean, we've never had anybody. So there's that. But like what happens if. A restaurant opens up right next to you and they're loud and. Don't do. Great crowd management. I guess where, where does the community. Go. If there's, you know, because that's not a health. Issue. Not a building issue. I'm looking through the various statues. It's all in chapter 140, but. I guess on that direct point. Chapter 140 section nine says. If in the opinion of the licensing authorities, a licensee is an inholder or a common victor, ceases to be engaged in the business he is licensed to pursue. Before it fails to maintain upon his premises, the implements and facilities required by this chapter, they shall immediately revoke his license. If a licensee at any time conducts his license business in an improper manner. The licensing authorities after notice the licensee and reasonable opportunity for hearing may upon says factory proof thereof suspended revoke his license or impose a fine. Provided by and then a bunch of things about the amounts of fees. But yeah, it kind of goes all over kind of the. I think the. Oops, I just closed it. I think the chapter that section most. Yeah. Describes it is. Section six is as a common victor's or in holders license may be issued to an applicant. Therefore, if at the time of his application, he has upon his premises the necessary implements and facilities for cooking. Preparing and serving food for trash strangers and travelers in the case of an applicant for an in holders license also has the rooms beds and bedding required by law. An applicant for a license as a common victor in holder proposed to be exercised upon the premises which have not been equipped with the fixtures or supplied the necessary implements and facilities for cooking. Preparing and serving food upon which in the case of an applicant for an in holders license, they're not also right as suitable rooms, beds and bedding for the lodging of his guests shall file with the licensing authority of plan showing the location of counters, tables, ranges, toilets and general. So I guess they did draft after that toilets. In general, the proposed setup of the premises which shall include. I think I skipped around there and where he proposed to have upon said premises and when the license may issue together with an itemized estimate of the cost of said proposed setup and of such fixtures. Now the implements and facilities necessary for cooking, preparing and serving food and of such bed and bedding. And there upon the licensing authorities may grant a common victor's or an in holders license as the case may be upon the condition will be done basically. Yeah, so that's kind of the most clear section I think of what it's supposed to be and what the purpose of any of this is. I don't know. Well, I think it's a long for you guys. I think it's a good. It would be a good thing for to have a task force on sure. I mean, I guess it's something I'd be willing to work on. Like towards the end of December when when I finished teaching. For the term. Yeah, I think your point about being able to greet the community is well taken Dylan, but is that worth charging $50 for? Exactly. Welcome to Amherst. We want to say hi, pay 50 bucks for the privilege. Yeah, I mean, a common complaint about doing business in Amherst is all the red tape and bureaucracy. And I think inspection services were, you know, we've done a decent job in trying to reduce that and streamline things. And we had a case just the other day with that. Where the common Vic was the last thing they needed. And they had, or this is actually a different restaurant thinking of it was the last thing they needed. And they had everything else. They had gone through some tribulations with the food license and the plumbing and electrical and they just didn't weren't aware that they needed a common Vic and they were about ready to open had employees on the site. And then it fell upon me. I have like a last review step with the food licenses where I basically check for common Vic. And I said, oh, they don't have a common Vic. And so they, you know, I generally at this point, if the situation like that comes, I won't say, well, tough luck. You can't open until you go before the board. I'll generally just have them apply and, you know, we'll schedule for the next meeting and call it a day and let them open in the meantime. But, you know, what, what value we are getting out of that. I, I don't, I don't see any. I mean, yeah, I'm fine. I usually go down and check out new places. So, you know, I guess I can do that for the meet and greet. I can go say hello to people and down. Yeah, and we can certainly encourage people to attend if they want. But yeah, charging $50 every year and having, you know, additional paperwork they have to do for another license when they already have to do their food license and certificate of inspection and liquor license. Like something we could do to make it a little bit easier for people. So, I don't even know if it can be eliminated or if it's just a mandatory the town has to do this. But I think it would be good for, I'll send along some of these the sections, this statute and yeah, there's a penalty too. I thought that was the thing I thought was the most crazy. I'll see if I can find an Alderman member of the licensing board or select one who signs license granted contract to this chapter should be punished by a fine of more than $50. I guess it's referring to the license but chapter 140 includes like firearm magazine limits and all kinds of animal rabies vaccines and all kinds of crazy things. And it goes up to section 206 and this is section one. So I'm assuming this is a rather bold provision. It's a lizard brain. Right. Okay, so Steve, you're going to check with Brian Riley about what such a thing can be done. Yeah. And we can put it on the agenda for next time to discuss. I mean, I don't know exactly what the timetable and all these things are. I mean, people are certainly renewing their common vix now but it's something to consider and I think wherever we go with the liquor licenses we'd probably be, you know, raising the line of malt a little bit just to put it in line with somewhat with the alcohol whether that one comes down or not. I don't know but we could probably make up the the when's the deadline for, is there a deadline or they're just going through them? I don't know if there is really a deadline or we don't we'll have to figure that out but I guess the other I mean, I guess I would like to suggest that if we are going to boost the wine and malts we consider phasing it in for current licensees I don't think we'd be hitting them with it this fall I don't know but we could go for current ones we could get there in like five years or something and it only applies directly to new applicants or something yeah it's we can be creative and I'm not saying that has to go up again it's not like with the towns looking to squeeze more revenue or anything but we can all things to look at that just struck me as the biggest disparity okay so we'll keep that on for next time and licensing review and common vic potential removal any other questions on this nope okay annual report I will send out a link to at least that I'll send a link to chapter 140 yeah thank you the first at least a section for fraudulently procuring food at least the first 12 or so 15 20 maybe are related to it so I'd be happy for you to dig it and tell me what you all think because it is it was repealed in 1941 it appears so I'm curious what you all make of it okay sounds good alright thanks Steve okay so annual report everyone got a draft it is basically last year's report with some extra things so Steve I think I know I couldn't remember we didn't do extension of premises this year did we I don't believe we did but we didn't do that so I know that has to come out and the lunch cart pilot program should probably be discussed a little more fully and it's only been Fridays so I can take Saturdays out was there anything else do everyone want I guess it's due on the 29th of November so if you want to review it a little bit more if you have anything to add and you can send it to Steve and you can send it to me sounds good okay any other questions nope okay upcoming meetings and agendas so next meeting is 30th at 5 and after that did we want to talk about December now or December then we need to talk about it then does that sound good if we wanted to because otherwise we'd go from the 30th to the 6th and then to the 20th oh but we thought we might skip and just do the 13th sorry the 14th and the 28th right because it's better to have a meeting at the end of just closer to the end of the year yeah it's good to have one right at the end because people will often have be able to get everything in last minute we want to be able to approve them for to open to be continue to be open on January 1st so it doesn't really matter it doesn't have to be a full meeting we could just have the straggler renewals but something towards the end of that last week I think would be good to have okay great so right now we have the 30th, the 14th and the 28th for our next three meetings and we have some topics for the agendas is there anything else anything new what about that place that was going in where hazels used to be are they almost done with their license there's one thing outstanding so I believe they'll be on for the end of the year and we do have one applicant coming in working through a draft with him for a location where Vici Salon used to be there's an eyeglass shop there and there's Lili's restaurant that's stripped there so he wants to do kind of a high end food and wine retailer oh nice the owner is a former chef so what do you mean do we have licenses available for that he'd be going for a beer and wine yeah so we would have a beer and wine beer and wine package store yeah so he'd be having he wants to have high end fruits and vegetables and cheeses and ingredients and things like that and some wine as well okay I didn't realize we had more of those available yeah no we're at cap for all alcohol but wine and malt we do have available how many I have the list on my desk we have five available nice oh good gotta start pushing wine and malt yeah so is that what reminded you to think about raising that fee so that's not the one I think okay it's the service one that you're concerned with yeah so just to go through the four major categories for all alcohol on premises is 3500 for wine and malt on premises it's 1000 for all alcohol off premises it's 2000 for wine and malt off premises it's 1500 okay I can send you guys the entire yeah 75% fee chart but it's you know we don't have to do anything it's just kind of there's an opportunity that's always jumped out to me is a big disparity whether one goes up or one goes down or they both move or whatever happens it just seems that I don't know if there's we get $2500 worth of extra trouble for hard alcohol being available so hey Gaston didn't you do a comparison chart yeah I gotta look back at that yep okay all right so that would be great okay oh hey Steve when the Garcia's does their renewal can you ask about their manager yeah that'll they'll certainly come up yeah okay all right thanks anything else for the agendas next time no okay four topics not reasonably anticipated 48 hours prior to the meeting topics one thing I noticed and I don't think we can do anything about it but I went to the UPS store which is right next to the new alcohol and premise store we and I don't know if anyone else has been there but you know we were sold on the no nips and classy no signs and I pulled in and there were nips on the parking spot and lots of signs and like I said I did nothing we can do about it but I just thought that was an interesting you know but are they selling nips in the store they are you're kidding he did he did ask me about that a couple months ago and I told him there's no condition damn that's uh I would have voted for the Ping Wai location otherwise thinking yeah but anyway well an interesting observation so that's all um disappointing well I'll share unrelated this we'll share some good news with you folks um I just got a new job I'm going to be working as an associate planner for the town of East Hampton congratulations congratulations thank you I just found out the news today now it looks like I'm going to have a much more regular schedule now rather than having no idea where I am on it every day so I should be able to start regularly making our Thursday meetings um yeah that should be I think they're I'll be serving I'll be like the Steve to their planning board and their zoning board of appeals and I think their planning board is Tuesdays CBA is Wednesday so should be good that's great congratulations Dylan good news excellent thank you fantastic anything um tried to it's hard to follow that up but um anything anything else nope okay well just nothing else uh is there a motion to adjourn so moved thanks Dylan is there a second I'll second let's take a vote Hallie hi Dylan hi Gaston hi and I vote aye and that is 4 to 0 if one absent we're adjourned at 5 52 p.m. okay well thanks everybody have a great Thanksgiving happy thanks thank you happy Thanksgiving see you on the 30th bye bye all right bye thank you bye thank you thanks