PAWTUCKET – An informal session with local liquor license holders was meant to set expectations and avoid more formal hearings on inappropriate behavior in the future, according to City Councilor Neicy Coderre.
The District 4 councilwoman (mainly downtown area) called an Oct. 15 meeting of Class B liquor license holders at Freight Street chambers to discuss “operational expectations.”
These small businesses are an important part of the community, said Coderre, but they also have an obligation to operate within the expectations set by laws and regulations that ensure they are good neighbors and do not negatively impact the quality of life in the surrounding areas.
Pawtucket, she told license holders, doesn’t have discos or nightclubs, because neighbors don’t want them to intrude on their quality of life.
When license seekers come before the council, the resulting license comes with an expectation of operating in a particular manner, she said, and that’s what they’re going to expect of them.
If someone comes and says they’re going to operate a restaurant, bar, or lounge, those types of operations will be the expectation, said Coderre, not a disco or nightclub.
No one ever comes before the council and says they’re going to run two or three ticketed events per week and pack their establishment, she said, but that’s exactly what some are doing immediately after obtaining a license.
“And then, we have a problem,” she said.
The Oct. 15 meeting was designed to clear the air and set expectations for those establishments within her district, she said, not dictate what may or may not happen in other districts. It was meant to make it clear that she’s not going to let any business negatively impact her constituents.
That also means closing when they say they’re going to close, she added, and she doesn’t want to keep getting calls from neighbors the next day about loud noise so late at night.
Coderre invited representatives from the city clerk’s office to present the ins and outs of acceptable and unacceptable behavior and practices.
The council, sitting as the Pawtucket Board of License Commissioners, often sets stipulations on how businesses can operate, such as hours of operation, and works closely with police and fire to ensure public safety, including maximum occupancy, said Coderre.
“The quality of life for Pawtucket residents is my top priority,” she said. “Many of Pawtucket’s establishments are playing by the rules and being good neighbors, but some are not following through on their obligations. Whether it is overcrowding, operating after hours, or violating other stipulations, these activities must stop to ensure Pawtucket residents are safe and their quality of life is not impacted.”
All 17 Class B liquor establishments in District 4 were invited to attend. City Council President Terry Mercer attended in support of the effort, as a district councilor representing District 3 next door.
Others in attendance were Solicitor Frank Milos, Clerk Rick Goldstein, Deputy Clerk Michelle Hardy, Maj. Kenneth Dolan, Capt. Joseph Skahan, Rep. Cherie Cruz, and District 6 council candidate Matthew Carvalho.
Here are the expectations of licensees, summarized:
