HomeMy Public PortalAbout03-10-2015 EDP, RO, PS report amended_201503171052379464MEETING MINUTES
JOINT MEETINGS: COMMITTEES ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
and PLANNING, RULES AND ORDINANCES, PUBLIC SAFETY
Meetings: December 2, 7 PM & December 18, 5 PM, 2014
Report: March 10, 2olti
I. December 2, 2014
Attending were Committee members Stephen P. Corbett, Aaron Dushku, Susan Falkoff, and
Vincent Piccirilli. Also present were Attorney Doneski of Kopelman & Paige, Council President
Sideris; Councilor Palomba; Planning Director Steve Magoon; Sgt Grady of the Watertown
Police, Donna Doucette, Licensing Board Chair, Donna Gill, Licensing Board Clerk, George
Newman, Licensing Board member, and Mike Athanamsorius from The W Pizza.
The purpose of the meeting was to continue discussing the possibility of petitioning the state
legislature for additional liquor licenses. Councilor Corbett chaired the meeting and began by
summarizing the October 27 meeting of these committees.
He listed the following unresolved issues. The outcome of each issue is noted in bold type.
1. How will additional licenses be distributed? The option of a lottery was taken off the
table and a decision was made to recommend that the distribution method be
determined through Rules established after a Home Rule petition is approved by the
Council and then the Legislature. The potential role of the Licensing Board in
distribution was discussed.
2. What would be the amount of the fee, and who determines this? Attorney Doneski said
that Town Council could be empowered to set the fee but the legislation should
reference the criteria that will be used to determine the amount. The Committee
discussed creating a mechanism that would equate the cost of a current license and
the average life span of a restaurant in Watertown. Ms Doucette said that the value
of current licenses is between ten thousand and seventy-five thousand dollars.
3. How will the fee be used? Attorney Doneski suggested the legislature would look
favorably on the creation of a special fund for neighborhood development. If the use
is not specified, the money automatically goes to the General Fund. Although new
development will add additional burden to the General Fund, (police, health
inspections, etc.), these costs would presumably be covered by the additional
revenue from economic development.
4. Are the boundaries of "Watertown Square" and the "Coolidge Square Business District"
sufficiently well-defined? Likewise, are the boundaries of the five economic
development areas clear enough? Would it be better not to list them by name but only
keep the reference to the Strategic Framework? Steve Magoon will work on defining
the boundaries with accuracy.
5. What about the Watertown Mall? Would it be better to replace the "Mall Project" with
"The I-1 District?" Since the I-1 district includes both malls, this wording was
preferred, and Mr. Magoon will provide mapping for the next discussion.
Ms Doucette provided the committees with information about how the Licensing Board makes
decisions. They consider
• Site suitability. This would not be relevant to the licenses that are designated for
particular sites.
• Whether the intended use is in the Public Good. By making the request of the legislature,
the Council would have already identified the additional licenses as a benefit to the
community.
• The applicant's character and fiscal stability. This would be the main consideration with
the new licenses.
The committees expressed the wish to make the new license granting system fair to existing
license -holders. Ms. Doucette stated her belief that there would be no way to create a system that
would maintain the full value of existing licenses since a large part of their value resides in the
fact that the number is limited. She also noted that due to population decrease, we have one more
license than we are allowed and if a current license is turned back to the town, it will be lost.
Mr. Magoon will work with Attorney Doneski to further refine the language in the Draft Home
Rule Petition with associated maps.
Councilor Dushku again mentioned a Bring Your Own (BYO) option. Ms. Doucette said that she
thinks BYO regulations are "an enforcement headache." The committees decided to table this
issue for a future discussion once we have had an opportunity to review some sample rules or
ordinances from other communities.
II. December 18, 2014
The committees reconvened. The attendees were Committee members Steven Corbett, Aaron
Dushku, Susan Falkoff, Vincent Piccirilli and Kenneth Woodland; Council President Sideris,
Councilor Palomba, Planning Director Steven Magoon, Licensing Board Clerk Donna Gill, Sgt
Grady of the Watertown Police Depat liuent, Attorney Doneski, and Charlie Breitrose of the
Watertown News.
The committees reviewed two maps, one with the specific addresses that have been approved and
a second showing the target areas. The committee members recommended that both be included
with the Home Rule Petition. The committee members also reviewed changes to the draft
Petition that were submitted by Attorney Doneski, and suggested some minor revisions to further
clarify that these licenses cannot be sold, that they will be for All Alcohol, and additional
language related to the addresses of the approved sites. The attorney will make these changes and
a Draft Final will be presented to the Town Council at the March 10th meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan Falkoff, Secretary
Attachments:
2 maps
October 27 draft petition with edits presented by Attorney Doneski on December 2.
The final draft will be attached to the Town Council agenda for March 10th.