2026-08-20 - License Commission

0:02Good morning, folks.

0:05I'm Anthony Vigliotti. I'll be chairing

0:07today's meeting of the Worester License

0:09Commission. On my left is Commissioner

0:11Cheron Fischer. On my right,

0:13Commissioner Marissa Cruz. And on my far

0:15right from the office of Inspectional

0:18Services, Deborah Steele, representing

0:20the city of Worester Law Department,

0:22Attorney Mar Amanda Moran, and from the

0:24Worester Police Department, Sergeant

0:26Thomas Needm.

0:30This is a um a public meeting uh and

0:33it's a hybrid meeting which means it is

0:35both being recorded and you can access

0:37either in person or online. The link uh

0:41to get online is to go to the Worester

0:42License Commission. If you're online, we

0:46ask you to uh hit star six to mute your

0:49computer until you're ready to speak and

0:52then hit star six to unmute when you're

0:54ready to speak.

0:57Once there are several items on the

0:59agenda that will be continued to

1:00postponed. I'll announce those as we go

1:02through the meeting. The conduct of the

1:05meeting is that uh we call the

1:07application. Uh you will be heard

1:11commissioners will ask questions. Uh

1:14staff will ask questions and it may be

1:16public inquiry and comments and

1:18questions. If you've applied for a

1:20regular liquor license today, uh if it's

1:24approved, it'll be uploaded to the

1:26Alcohol Beverage Control Commission's

1:27website. It takes approximately four to

1:30six weeks to get a response. Uh and in

1:34the meantime, you will be responsible

1:36for obtaining any of the permits that

1:38are necessary, such as building, fire,

1:40and code. With that, I call to order the

1:44meeting of the Worester license

1:45>> recording in progress,

1:46>> Thursday, August 20th. Second.

1:50>> Commissioner Cruz,

1:51>> yes.

1:51>> Commissioner Fischer,

1:52>> yes.

1:53>> Chair Vidiat,

1:54>> yes.

1:55>> Motion to approve the minutes of the

1:57August 6, 20126 meeting.

2:00>> Oh, second.

2:00>> Commissioner Cruz,

2:02>> yes.

2:02>> Commissioner Fischer,

2:03>> yes.

2:03>> Jotti,

2:04>> yes. First items on the agenda, a

2:07one-day liquor and entertainment

2:08request. The first one, a motion to

2:12postpone to September 10th, 2026.

2:16>> Second.

2:16>> Commissioner Cruz.

2:17>> Yes.

2:17>> Commissioner Fischer. Yes.

2:19>> Jabby Gotti.

2:20>> Yes. Number two on the agenda, Victoria

2:22Mariano, 26 Milbury Street. Request for

2:26one day liquor license for Saturday,

2:28August 29th from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

2:33Miss Mariano, are you online?

2:35>> Yep. Hello.

2:36>> Morning.

2:39>> Um, name and where you live?

2:42>> Oh, uh, Victoria Mariano and I'm in

2:45Spencer, Massachusetts.

2:46>> Okay. tell us about the application,

2:48please.

2:49>> Sure. Um, so we did this a bunch of

2:52times last summer and it went really

2:54well, but we're only uh requesting to do

2:56it once this year. Um, and we just have

2:59art vendors uh outside on the street and

3:03um a little outdoor bar and some extra

3:05seating. Uh, it's right next to um

3:08Electric Haze, which has restrooms and

3:11um extra seating and u music inside. And

3:15how many people do you expect to attend?

3:18>> Um, at one time it was really no more

3:20than 50 last year. People kind of come

3:22and go.

3:23>> Okay. And where are you getting your

3:25from?

3:26>> Um, the typical distributors that we use

3:29um at Electric Case. So mostly Alice.

3:33>> And whom do you have a tip certifies?

3:37Uh, tip certified. We have uh Corey

3:40Nevers, um, Fonttosi, and uh, Xander

3:44Garfinkle.

3:46>> Commissioner Fisher,

3:48>> no questions.

3:48>> Commissioner Cruz,

3:49>> no questions.

3:50>> Sergeant Neita,

3:51>> no issues. I actually stopped down at

3:53the last event. It was uh, seemed to be

3:55pretty wellrun. Uh, Victoria was on

3:57site. Uh, security. Uh,

4:02>> did they all set with Did they need a

4:03road closure?

4:04>> The chair? No.

4:06>> Okay. Okay. Is there anyone present or

4:09online that has any questions or

4:11comments?

4:13Hearing none. Motion to approve.

4:16>> Second.

4:16>> Commissioner Cruz.

4:17>> Yes.

4:17>> Commissioner Fischer.

4:18>> Yes.

4:19>> David.

4:20>> Yes. Thank you. Enjoy the event.

4:22>> Thank you so much. Have a good day,

4:23guys.

4:23>> You too. Number three on the agenda,

4:26Worcester Night Market, Franklin Street,

4:28downtown Worcester. Request for one day

4:30entertainment license for Dancing by

4:32Entertainers. recorded music, live

4:35music, amplification system, karaoke for

4:38Saturday, September 19th from 400 pm to

4:419:30 p.m. Anyone present on would you

4:45kindly go to that microphone? Um,

4:48>> you know what? You don't have to come

4:49right over here. Come right over here.

4:51>> Did you skip number two?

4:56>> No, we just did number two.

4:58>> Good morning, everyone.

4:59>> Good morning.

5:00>> Good morning.

5:02>> I'm sorry. Okay, come on.

5:04>> Okay, please identify yourself and where

5:06you live.

5:08>> I have one.

5:08>> Okay, my name is Holly Ashton. Um, I'm a

5:11co-executive director of Rice. I live in

5:13Lester, Massachusetts.

5:15>> Boa Nugate Wusser.

5:17>> Okay. So, tell us about this application

5:19that we have before us.

5:21>> Um, so we submitted an application

5:24for microphone on. Does it have a green

5:25light on it?

5:26>> Yes. Yeah. I'm just I can talk louder.

5:28Okay. Um, so he sent an application for

5:30the Worcester Night Market, which would

5:31be Worcester's first night market on

5:33September 19th, 2026 uh from 400 p.m. to

5:37uh 9:30 p.m. in on Franklin Street in

5:39downtown Worcester. Um we've had um some

5:42media coverage for from Mass Live and

5:44also if anyone knows Tina Vo from like

5:46Live to Eat um she's also covered um the

5:49uh discuss discussions around the event.

5:52Um and it would be a mix of uh

5:55entertainment but also food uh and craft

5:57vendors. Okay.

6:00>> Would you like to say anything?

6:01>> Yes. What what Holly said.

6:02[clears throat]

6:03>> Okay. Commissioner Fisher.

6:05>> No questions.

6:06>> Commissioner Cruz.

6:07>> No questions. S you need them.

6:08>> Uh just uh uh again in regards to road

6:11closures they taking up that church

6:12street in Franklin

6:13>> in the chair. Yes, they are working with

6:15DPW

6:15>> working with uh DPW and um how many

6:18people do you expect to attend?

6:20>> It's our very first ever

6:22>> Okay. Um with road closures and it's

6:26taking up all of Church Street.

6:27>> Um it's a Franklin

6:29>> Franklin. Yeah. Um you might want to

6:31touch base with our detail office to

6:33possibly get um some officers assigned

6:36to assist with pedestrian traffic.

6:38>> Thank you. If you need a number or

6:40contact name.

6:41>> Is that Mark Mark Sawyer?

6:42>> Yes.

6:43>> Got him.

6:43>> Yep.

6:45>> Can I take his contact just to get

6:46>> sure? Um

6:48>> 508

6:53>> 799

6:55>> 86

6:56>> 86. Do we need to make an appointment? I

6:58can't wait to do we need to make an

7:00appointment

7:01voice voicemail and whatnot just

7:03>> Okay.

7:03>> Yep. Uh the office is generally staffed

7:07>> Monday through Friday.

7:09>> Um 7:30 7:30 in the morning till 4

7:12>> 7:30. Okay.

7:14>> If not, leave call up, leave a

7:15voicemail. I'll get a hold of you.

7:17>> Okay. Thank you so much. Touch though.

7:19>> We're getting a message the internet.

7:21It's unstable. I'm not sure why, but

7:28Thank you.

7:29>> Thank you.

7:30>> Thank you.

7:31>> Okay. Anything else you want?

7:33>> Yes.

7:33>> Um and if you have questions, [laughter]

7:37>> is there anyone present or online that

7:39has any questions or comments?

7:41>> Hearing none. Motion to approve.

7:43>> Second.

7:44>> Commissioner Cruz.

7:45>> Yes.

7:45>> Commissioner Fischer.

7:46>> Yes.

7:47>> Yes. Thank you. Enjoy the event.

7:49>> Thank you so much. Please come if you

7:50can.

7:50>> Thank you.

7:51>> Oh, thank you.

7:52>> Sounds good.

7:53>> Welcome back to Worcester for that. You

7:54just dropped You just dropped the

7:56business card.

7:59>> Have a great day.

8:01>> Number four on the agenda, summer block

8:04party, 23 Oxford Street. Request to one

8:06entertainment license for music for

8:08Saturday, August 22nd from noon to 6:00

8:12p.m. Is there anyone present online to

8:15address this application?

8:18We'll hold to the end.

8:22Number five on the agenda is a canal

8:24diggers for 19 Temple Street. A motion

8:26to postpone to 91026.

8:29>> Second.

8:30>> Commissioner Cruz.

8:31>> Yes.

8:31>> Mr. Fischer.

8:32>> Yes.

8:33>> Jotti.

8:34>> Yes.

8:36Next on the agenda are alcohol

8:38entertainment request. Mezcal Tequila

8:40Cantina Inc. DBA to fix 108 Grove

8:44Street. Request for alteration of

8:46premise. Request for change of manager.

8:48Can come right up here sir. We have a

8:50small crowd today.

8:51>> Yeah.

8:52>> Should we do seven as well?

9:03>> Are you involved in number seven also?

9:06>> Miss here for number items six, seven,

9:09and eight.

9:10>> Okay.

9:11>> Okay. I'm I'm going to call number

9:13seven, Miss Cal Tequila Cantina, 11 East

9:15Central Street. Request for change of

9:17manager. Number eight, Beastrob Bar,

9:19Inc. DBA Green Island Oyster Bar, 90

9:22Harding Street, and request [snorts] for

9:23change of manager.

9:25You're on name and address, please.

9:27>> Uh, my name is David Green. I'm from

9:29Western Mass.

9:30>> Okay. Is that green button on?

9:31>> Yes, it is.

9:32>> Okay. Uh, so, uh, let it be shown that

9:36the commission did do a view of the fix

9:38on Grove Street this morning. Please

9:40tell us about what you're doing and the

9:42change of managership. Well, on the uh

9:46extension of premise, we've taken over a

9:48small space adjacent to the existing

9:50space. Uh we have opportunity there to

9:54store alcohol, to host private events,

9:58and to offer to go um like a when

10:03appropriate. So, we were trying to

10:05reserve the right to do all three.

10:06>> And who's the uh new manager for the

10:08property?

10:09>> That would be Lisa Giddex. And who's the

10:12manager for uh Mescal?

10:16>> I'm sorry, the Central Street Mezcow.

10:18>> That'll be Dana Porter.

10:21>> And the new manager for the Green Island

10:23Oyster Bar,

10:24>> Samantha Thomas.

10:26>> Okay.

10:28>> Sergeant,

10:29>> based on the background check of all

10:31three proposed managers, there's nothing

10:32that would statutoily prevent the

10:34application and appointment of that

10:36individual moving forward. And uh the

10:39other item on the agenda regarding the

10:41alteration of premise we did uh view

10:44everything checks out with that.

10:45>> Thank you.

10:47>> Commissioner Fisher.

10:48>> No questions.

10:49>> Commissioner Cruz.

10:50>> No questions.

10:51>> SGE. Any other questions?

10:53>> Uh no.

10:54>> Anybody present online have any

10:56questions or comments?

10:58Hearing none. Motion to approve number

11:01six, number seven, and number eight on

11:03the agenda.

11:04>> Second.

11:05>> Commissioner Cruz.

11:06>> Yes.

11:06>> Commissioner Fischer. Yes,

11:07>> Jiggliotti.

11:08>> Yes.

11:09>> Thank you.

11:13>> Thank you.

11:14>> Nine on the agenda, Assumption

11:16University, Pier Pub, 500 Salsbury

11:18Street. Request for change of offices

11:20and directors. Is there anyone present

11:23or online to address this application?

11:26>> Good morning.

11:27>> Good morning. I am attorney Good

11:28morning. I am attorney Margot Gillis

11:30with McDermott, Quilty, Miller, and

11:32Hanley LLP in Boston. and I am here on

11:35behalf of the Lency Assumption

11:37University. We are here for a change of

11:39officers director's application. This is

11:42an internal administrative personnel

11:44change. The amendment is to remove

11:46Christina Graziano as clerk and replace

11:48her with Michael T. Matria as clerk.

11:51There are no other changes being made

11:53and there will be no change in

11:55day-to-day operations of the license.

11:58Please let me know if you have any

11:59questions.

12:00>> I'm sorry. Thank you. Let me call number

12:0210 also. Sump University 500 Salsbury

12:05Street request for change of offices and

12:08directors. Can you is one for the PS pub

12:11and what is the second one for?

12:14>> Um it's for the general premise license.

12:17Um so it's the same amendment. It's to

12:21remove Cristiana Graciano as clerk and

12:23replace her with Michael T. Matria as

12:25clerk.

12:26>> Thank you

12:26>> for the university.

12:28>> Mr. Fishian,

12:29>> no questions.

12:29>> Mr. Groves,

12:30>> no questions. Sergeant Neita,

12:32>> based upon the background investigation,

12:33there's nothing that would statutoily

12:35prevent the application moving forward.

12:37>> Anybody present online have any

12:39questions or comments?

12:41>> Hearing none. Motion to approve number

12:43nine, number 10.

12:44>> Second.

12:45>> Commissioner Cruz,

12:46>> yes.

12:46>> Commissioner Fischer,

12:47>> yes.

12:48>> Chair Vizatti,

12:49>> yes. Thank you.

12:51>> Thank you.

12:52>> Number 11 on the agenda, Pontaana Bar

12:54and Grill Restaurant, Inc., 795 Main

12:57Street. A request for change of manager.

12:59Request of change of offices and

13:01directives. Anyone present or online to

13:04address this application.

13:07We'll hold it until the end.

13:11Number 12 on the agenda. Parku 215

13:14Chandler Street. Motion to postpone to

13:17the 91026 meeting of the Worester

13:19License Commission.

13:24>> Second.

13:24>> Commissioner Cruz.

13:25>> Yes.

13:26>> Commissioner Fischer.

13:27>> Yes.

13:27>> Chairlotti. Yes. Number 13 on the

13:31agenda, Italian-American and world war

13:32veterans of the US Inc. post 314 ITM

13:35court request for change of manager.

13:38Anybody present or online to address

13:40this application?

13:41>> Uh through the chair, we actually have

13:43been making some progress. They have

13:45arranged to fix their corporate papers.

13:49Uh we need spoke with Ralph Sacrimony as

13:53secret um head of the state alcohol

13:54beverage control commission. They just

13:56need to file another amendment so

13:58Sergeant Nem can vet it and then that'll

14:00be present on the next agenda.

14:03>> A motion to postpone to the 91026

14:06meeting of the West License Commission.

14:07>> Second.

14:08>> Commissioner Cruz.

14:09>> Yes.

14:09>> Commissioner Fischer.

14:10>> Yes.

14:10>> Chair Vigliotti.

14:11>> Yes. 14. Dubai Restaurant Lounge DBA

14:15Mextown Bar and Grill 105 Water Street.

14:18Request to stay open till 2 a.m. Request

14:20for bottle service. Good morning.

14:23>> Good morning. Let the record show that

14:25the commission did do a view of the

14:27premises that is now before us.

14:30>> My name is Adrian Tveras uh and I live

14:32from Western.

14:35>> So on this request to state two, uh we

14:38would just like to have a um that extra

14:40hour to have patients come in. Um we do

14:43have our our our nightub license through

14:46the um the CI

14:50and we just want to have that extra hour

14:51to you know um of dancing and and you

14:55know have events going on until 2 a.m.

14:57And then the request for ber service um

14:59we have designated areas um b host that

15:02will have for for this designated area

15:06that we have in the back.

15:08>> Thank you commission fisher.

15:10>> No questions.

15:11>> Motion approves. No questions.

15:13>> Sergeant Nem,

15:14>> no issues.

15:16>> Anyone present or online have any

15:17questions or comments?

15:20>> Hearing none. A motion to approve.

15:22>> Second.

15:24>> Yes.

15:24>> Mr. Fisher.

15:25>> Yes.

15:25>> Chair Videtti.

15:26>> Yes. Thank you.

15:28>> Good luck with the new business.

15:30>> Gallows.

15:31>> Set the tone early. Adrian.

15:34>> Before I go through the status hearings,

15:36let's go back to the holes.

15:38>> First one was number four. Summer Block

15:41Party, 23 Oxford Street. Request for one

15:43day entertainment license for music.

15:46Saturday, August 22nd from noon to 6 pm.

15:50>> That's this weekend.

15:53>> Nobody's online, right?

15:54>> You're the chair. There's no one on. Is

15:56>> there anyone present or online?

15:57>> Nobody's online

15:58>> for this application.

16:03>> Commissioners, your thoughts?

16:05>> Nobody's online.

16:06>> No one's here. And this is this weekend.

16:08So

16:09>> yeah, we're here.

16:17>> Motion to file.

16:21>> Deny.

16:22>> Deny.

16:22>> Motion to deny.

16:24>> Need a second.

16:25>> Second.

16:25>> Second.

16:26>> Commissioner Cruz.

16:27>> Yes.

16:27>> Commissioner Fischer.

16:28>> Yes.

16:29>> Sheriff. [clears throat]

16:30>> Yes.

16:30>> People need to show up.

16:32>> And then number 11.

16:33>> Number 11. Porter Bar and Grill 795 Main

16:37Street. Request for change of manager.

16:39Request change of officers and

16:41directors. Anybody present online to

16:43address this application

16:46hearing? None. Motion to deny

16:49>> through the chair. We can postpone that

16:50postpone.

16:51>> Postpone that to the next meeting

16:54because it's just

16:55>> change.

16:58>> Okay.

17:00All right. Motion to postpone the next

17:03meeting.

17:04>> Second. Second.

17:04>> Commissioner Cruz.

17:05>> Yes.

17:05>> Commissioner Fischer. Yes.

17:07>> Chair Viati.

17:08>> Yes.

17:13Number 15 on the agenda. Italian America

17:16vets the US IDM court failure to file

17:18amended paperwork. Anybody present

17:21online to address this application

17:23hearing? None. Motion to postpone to the

17:269 10 meeting of the Worcester License

17:29Commission.

17:30>> Second.

17:31>> Commissioner Cruz.

17:32>> Yes.

17:32>> Commissioner Fischer.

17:33>> Yes.

17:33>> Chair.

17:34>> Yes.

17:36Communications ABCC communications lepa

17:40sports bar decision. What was the

17:42decision?

17:43>> Uh through the chair as you will recall

17:45about a year and a half ago this

17:47applicant filed for a liquor

17:49application. It was voted down by the

17:52board. They appealed to the state. The

17:54state just surrendered the decision and

17:56upheld the worers denial.

18:00>> Motion to file.

18:01>> Yes.

18:03>> Second.

18:03>> Commissioner Cruz.

18:04>> Yes. Commissioner Fischer.

18:05>> Yes.

18:06>> Chair Viglotti.

18:07>> Yes. Any old business?

18:11>> Any new business?

18:12>> Yes.

18:14>> Um, I'd like to know what the status of

18:17special events. Um, how that going

18:20online, please, if we can get a a report

18:23on that.

18:24>> Okay.

18:26>> Say it again.

18:26>> I didn't hear that. Oh, it would be

18:29looking at the status of I know that the

18:31there's been special events trying to

18:32kind of streamline it. So, we're asking

18:36for it to go online and so I'd like to

18:39know what the status of that is with the

18:41special events especially this um body

18:45has a lot to do with it when we grant

18:47permits and

18:48>> so through the chair commissioner

18:52>> um the past few years we've been trying

18:54we have an open dove system where um

18:57applicants they're doing a special event

18:59like a big festival we're trying to get

19:01it all moved online so every if someone

19:04applies applies all the permits would be

19:07in one place. So if someone comes in,

19:10applies for a permit, you'd get a link

19:12for every single permit at the same time

19:14and then you'd have one contact person

19:16at the end if they had questions.

19:19So she's just looking for a status of

19:21when it'll be going online.

19:22>> And this has been

19:23>> presented before. Well, I don't it

19:26wasn't present before. I know that

19:27there's been an issue [clears throat] of

19:28criticism actually from the community of

19:31the city because everything is kind of

19:33like separated. So you end up like

19:35calling this person here or calling that

19:37person there and this one doesn't know

19:38what is going on. I know that start with

19:41had had this issue. I know anyone like

19:43having any doing any special event and I

19:45know that we experienced this issue this

19:49weekend um you know where people are not

19:52really connecting and for for folks who

19:54don't know how to navigate a system I

19:56think it's really important um to have

19:58everything in one place like she says

20:00where it's click and there's a link and

20:02then at the end of the day there's one

20:04person who knows exactly what's going

20:05on. So is there a link for persons to

20:08have special events of know where to go

20:10and what they have require

20:11>> through the chair we uh know to where to

20:13go all the applications will be in one

20:16place if like if you're applying for

20:17liquor license you'd know right away oh

20:19I need to go to the license commission

20:20for a hearing if I need

20:21>> well that was the license commission

20:23website

20:24>> correct there'll be links if you need a

20:26food truck it'll connect you with the

20:27food department the fire department all

20:29the links would be in one place

20:31>> so has this I guess through the chair

20:32has this been presented before

20:33>> through the chair I know it's a priority

20:35ity of the city managers and they've uh

20:38technical services have been working on

20:40it but I'm not sure what the status of

20:42when it'll go live

20:44>> and that's what commission

20:45>> internally I think internally it's

20:46really would be really helpful for the

20:48staff that works you know in each

20:51department because um gets confused

20:54>> I have I have one new question why is

20:56the question on [clears throat] nips

21:00going to the board of health rather than

21:01coming to the worester license

21:02commission

21:03>> okay through the chair I'm actually not

21:05familiar with what this was. Where did

21:07>> the uh there was an order for a study to

21:12uh prohibit the sale of nips in the city

21:14of Worcester that was uh publicized and

21:18it was being sent to the board of health

21:21commission for uh study and comment

21:25>> through the chair. I can check and find

21:26out for you for the next week.

21:28>> Commissioner felt that it was an issue

21:30that should come before it was the

21:31license commission not the board of

21:33health. through the chair. I will find

21:35out and get you the information for the

21:37next meeting.

21:38>> And they came out of the community

21:39because of the amount of litter of the

21:41nips that you find in the streets on the

21:44sidewalk. So just littering everywhere.

21:46So

21:47>> perhaps that's why it's a board of

21:48health issue. Not but I don't know.

21:51>> That's I know that I'm one that people

21:54complain.

21:54>> Any other new business to be discussed?

21:58Hearing none. Motion to adjurnn.

22:00>> Second.

22:00>> Commissioner Cruz.

22:01>> Yes.

22:02>> Commissioner Fischer.

22:03>> Yes. Chev.

22:04>> Yes.