Select Board Punishes Baystate Liquors With License Suspension

READING, Ma. - The Reading Select Board voted Tuesday night to punish Baystate Liquors for twice selling alcohol to minors last May. The vote was the continuation of a hearing that started in July, and part of a four-plus hour meeting that included an update on selecting a new police chief and approval of temporary lighting at Birch Meadow.

The board's debate over how to handle Baystate Liquors dominated the night, much as it did back on July 9. After voting 5-0 that Baystate twice violated state law by selling alcohol to minors, they moved to the punishment phase. John Halsey wanted to send a clear message to the Main Street store that what they did in selling alcohol to minors on May 18 and May 31 would not be tolerated.

"If you let them skate, that's a bad message," said Halsey. "We need to send a message that is painful but not onerous."

But other board members, even after the 5-0 votes, wanted to be more lenient. After a lengthy debate that included Baystate store owner Tarak Patel, the board settled for much less than what the frustrated Halsey wanted.

The board first suspended their license for the May 18 offense for two days with the punishment held in abeyance for three years, meaning the Main Street store wouldn't serve the penalty if there were no further violations. But for the May 31 violation, the board suspended their license for three days starting Thur., Sept. 26.

The vote on both license suspensions was 4-1 with Halsey the lone dissenting vote. The store can appeal the decision. In a related debate, the board voted, 3-2, that Baystate Liquors did not violate the Select Board policy that all employees must have either TIPS or TAM training to sell alcohol. Board members Vanessa Alvarado, Andrew Friedmann, and Anne Landry all felt to some degree they lacked proof that the policy was violated.

In other agenda items, Town Manager Bob LeLacheur updated the board on the process and progress in selecting a new police chief. Deputy David Clark has been serving as the town's interim police chief after Mark Segalla resigned the end of June.

The job was posted late last month but there's no way to know when the new chief will be hired. When asked by chair Alvarado, LeLachuer would only say "as soon as possible."

The town will soon hire a consultant to assist with the process. The consultant will present the qualified candidates to a selection committee, formed by LeLachuer. His proposal to the board Tuesday was for a seven-person committee that included two from the Select Board, a School Committee member, the Fire Chief, the town's HR Director, the Library Director, and LeLachuer. But the board suggested adding a resident's voice to the committee. And when three from the board - Halsey, Alvarado, and Landry - all expressed interest in serving on the committee, LeLacheur's brief update became a longer discussion. In the end, it's LeLacheur's call.

With the committee in place, it will decide on how many of the candidates given to them by the consultant will be sent to something called the Police Assessment Center. This is a group composed on mainly police chiefs and retired police chiefs who will look over the candidates and return a recommendation to LeLachueur. It will then be LeLachuer's decision with a final approval from the Select Board. When all this will be completed is anyone's guess, including LeLacheur's.

With the Turf II field at the high school being replaced, the board also approved temporary lighting at Birch Meadow to allow for the Recreation Department's Saturday Night Lights program along with soccer and other youth sports. More than 700 children participate in Saturday Night Lights.

But even with the lights set up adjacent to the old Imagination Station, there's still a shortage of fields in Reading. Even though the School Committee set aside $20,000 to deal with the Turf II issue early this year, no plans had been made to put lights at Parker Middle School's turf field. Reading Youth Soccer was well-represented at the meeting but despite their well-intended pleas, they were directed back to the Recreation Committee to make it happen. But time is running out to get the lights on at Parker, and no one in the room explained why something everyone knew was going to be an issue was still being debated on Aug. 27.

The board also voted to allow the town to work with Austin Prep on a frequent water issue along Willow Street. Before the town could do any work, the board had to allow it on private property.

"Austin Prep has been a really good community partner," said LeLacheur of the private school. The project that will help area residents along with AP's work on their athletic field improvements.

The board also heard a presentation of the threat of gas leaks in town and the plan to deal with them. The board decided to make it a separate warrant issue at the November Town Meeting.

At 11:35 p.m. the board went into executive session, throwing the grateful media out of the room.