[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: All right, so it's 105, so we'll call to order the Medford Licensing Commission. And our chairman, Alan, is not available today, so Bobby and I will be be here as the chair people, Bob Delfano and myself. Okay, so first thing on our agenda is the minutes from our previous two meetings. So the first one to review is, this is a little bit of just housekeeping. This is our 12-20-23 meeting and our meeting from last week on January 11th. Daria sent us those minutes.
[Daria Tejera]: I did not send you the one from last week. Yeah, I didn't say that. Yeah, no, I didn't send that one.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: OK, that's right. We only have looking at 12, 20 minutes, which is pretty comprehensive. But Alan, what did you think about these minutes? Do you have any questions?
[Robert Delafano]: Yeah. It all looks good to me, Ben. Everything's fine. I know that we had something on there that we were waiting on. I just want to make sure Daria received it. Let's see. The application. Brian Commissioner, there's something from there. On change of manager application, item number 2, American Legion. Uh, there was a conditional approval with applicants statement needed to be changed over to authorize person that was done. It was done. Okay. Great. Oh, yeah. Thing I had the rest of it look fine.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Your memory is they're all starting to run together a little bit.
[Robert Delafano]: Yes, I was going by Darius notes of my much mind. Believe me, I wouldn't remember that unless I started in the notes.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Okay. Okay. So. Okay, so we have, then we have the, we had the minutes from December 20th. I've reviewed those too. I read that when I originally came out and they all looked good. We did a lot of business at the end of the year there. If Commissioner Delfano, if you think this looks good and you want to make a motion to accept these minutes.
[Robert Delafano]: Yes, I'll make a motion to accept the minutes of the December 20th meeting of the License Commission.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Okay I'll second that and all in favor to accept those. Aye. Okay those minutes are done so moving along back to our agenda and then the minutes from our last meeting we're going to put those onto our next meeting to approve along with the minutes from this meeting. Yes. Okay, all right, so now we have a change of category application. Is the representative from Naya Sky Inc. doing business as Naya Japanese Restaurant here to present that?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, good afternoon, Mr. Commissioner and the members of the board. I'm Kayang Wong from Sassoon Simrat Law LLC, representing the applicant. I'm a JIA Sky Inc. DBA and a JIA Japanese restaurant. We're here to apply for change of category. Right now we have the BMO license and we are applying to change it to full Lekker. There's no change in operations or managers or shareholders or anything. It's just we would like to change the category.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Okay, okay.
[SPEAKER_00]: The same Lekker manager and all that.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Okay, you'll just give me a minute here.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sure.
[Adam Hurtubise]: And so, the ABCC license looks good. That was something that needs to be checked.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: And sir, you're the attorney, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Correct, yes.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Can you just tell me, has the TIP certification been done?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, it's the same liquor manager, Henderson Lee. He's been the liquor manager since the restaurant received the VMO license, I think a few years ago. So he will stay. Yeah, he has been TIPS certified for years. And he has 10 plus years experience in restaurant business. So, and we did the about this list mailing and also the publication on January the 4th. And I send all the supporting document to Daria. So, and Daria has been super, super helpful. Thank you first. Thank you very much.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Cheers.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Commissioner Delfano, did you have any questions?
[Robert Delafano]: No, Mr. Chairman. I had a chance to look over this application a little earlier. For the change of category, I mean, the payment receipts in there, the monetary transmittal form, DOS certificate in good standing. uh, do you a certificate of compliance, uh, change a category application with the, uh, the vote of the entity and the about his notifications and the advertisements. Everything's been done perfect as far as I can see. Um, I don't have any issues with this, uh, with this change of category at all.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, I thought the paperwork looked good too. I mean all signatures and everything looks professionally done. Maybe obvious question, but what's the reason that they want to change the category?
[SPEAKER_00]: I think first is from the customers. Yeah, for the last, since COVID, the reopening. And luckily they were able to survive and then they reopened and then more and more customers asking for full liquor license. And I think, of course, my clients also believe that that will also help the business. So I think that's the reason.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Okay, okay. Um, yeah, yeah, no, I walked by there quite a bit. It seems like it has, you know, pretty consistent business. And I'm sure that there's a need, you know, yes. I need for this. Okay, so I think what my fellow chairman said is accurate about how I'm viewing all the paperwork that was submitted here. Daria, this is a question. Is there anything sort of clerically that we have to do besides this approval from the board? This application to ABCC. Yeah, right, right.
[Daria Tejera]: So ABCC would have to would have to approve it and say the final the final EA on a. Okay.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Yeah. Okay, that's right. Okay, didn't go to them first. Um, Then I'm good with this. I mean, everything's been in there right, even the butter notifications and there was no, nobody came on this meeting and was opposing it, so I have no problem with it.
[Robert Delafano]: Okay, Mr. Chairman, would you like me to make a motion? Yes, please. I'm going to make a motion to accept the application for amendment, change the license certification, change a category, from a beer and wine to an all-alcohol license for the restaurant Nyla, Japanese restaurant, 9 High Street, Medford, Mass.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: It wasn't me. It wasn't me either. Okay, and I will second that motion. All in favor of this change of license classification, say aye. Aye. Okay, well then, there you have it. It's approved. This can proceed to the next steps, go into the ABCC and best of luck.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Yeah. Okay, great. Okay. All right, thanks.
[Robert Delafano]: That was a little bit to go through there, but that was good. Yeah, everything was an honor. They did a real nice job. Thank you, Davria.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: They did, yeah. So then on the agenda here, I'm just seeing is someone from, sorry, Event Them here, is that Marcelo?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's me and Brian, but Brian cannot speak. He's sick, so I'm representing the company today.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: All right, so why don't we talk, why don't we do this, the event then now, get this out of the way here. Can you give us, Marcela, can you give us a, can you just tell us what we're looking at here?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, we're looking into getting four liquor permits for the events that we got coming up. One is today, which is a gallery talk. I don't know if you want me to go quickly over the four events. Yeah, please. OK, the first one is today is a gallery talk. We have an art gallery and the photographer is coming to talk a little bit about her work and stuff. And local people are coming by. On Sunday, the 21st, this Sunday, We have Winter Spark, which is a family-friendly event organized by the Friends of Medford Family Network. Again, it's family-friendly. It's going to be like a local organization putting this together here. On Friday 26th, we got a Beard and Board Games planned with a host, a game host. So we're expecting some draw on that. And we've already done one of these Beard and Board Games events in the past. And the last one is on Friday, February 2nd. which is called Blow Aoki, but it's not karaoke. It's a musical performance that is put together by the Boston ladies of wrestling. That's there for that blow. But yeah, it's a show that will be happening at our studios here in Medford.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: OK. Look at that, Brian. Brian won't even let you finish. He sent it out, sent it, and I can see everything here, and then he's just jumped on there. I think Marcel's got it, Brian. Well, this is all looking good. We're familiar, of course, with you guys. You have been very, very good about getting us everything that we need, paperwork. We already have a floor plan on file. So that's sometimes a question we have if an event differs. So if these events don't differ from what the floor plans and what the setup is, then I wouldn't ask that we needed another floor plan. OK. Now look through every one of these one-day licenses and they seem like, they all seem good, they all have their insurance on there as well. I just ask my fellow commissioner if he has any questions at this point.
[Robert Delafano]: No questions, Ben. All four of them look good to me. If you like, I can make a motion to grant all four licenses at once, if you like. I'd say that's good. All right. I'm going to make a motion to grant four one-day licenses that will be held at the Event Them Studios at 344 Salem Street in Medford. The first one being January 17th from the hours of 6-9pm. Second one being held January 21st from the hours of 3-7pm. Third one being held on January 26th, hours of 7.30-10pm. and the fourth one being held February 2nd in the hours of 7 to 10 p.m. and all the paperwork looks in order and we should be good. Thank you very much.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: I'll second that motion and all in favor? Aye. Aye. Okay, guys, you know what I like is how different all of these events are. They're like, you know, it's very diverse, like all these different things that you do. So that's just neat.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it changes every day.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, never a dull moment. So, well, yeah, keep it up. Thank you very much. Good luck with the events. Feel better, Brian.
[Robert Delafano]: Thank you. Take care, Brian. Take care of yourself.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Hey, hey. That was easy enough, guys. Just going to get back to the agenda here. OK, annual report that Daria sent over. I didn't have as much time to go over and look at that. So I just want to pull that back open.
[Robert Delafano]: But I didn't see that. Yeah, I kind of glanced at it. I mean, it all looked, you know, Daria had all the numbers when we did all the license renewals, so it would be accurate according to her records there.
[Daria Tejera]: Yeah, I, sorry, I'm just typing up the minutes, so that's why I have it all on record. I went over the payments. So I do them by fiscal year. So from last July till this July is what I have to, or from previous July to last July. Okay. The way it falls. Um, so I, I, whatever I deposited is what I calculated. So usually around a hundred thousand anyways, cause I looked at my old one, it was like one or two. So, So all the books balanced. Yeah. It's always around a hundred grand, you know, give or take.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: That's a good, you know, it must be some like, um, what's that word, you know, partial payment or something. Um, um, I don't even know. I can't think of the word. Like when you, you've paid like part of the year, like it's, um, If somebody started midway through the year, it's like what you do with rent. It's like, yeah, yeah, yeah. I can't believe I just can't think of the word. And you know what I'm saying? Pro-rated. Pro-rated. Pro-rated, there you go.
[Robert Delafano]: OK.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, yeah, that's fine. Just because I was seeing the decimals and stuff.
[Robert Delafano]: Yeah, I think the only thing that we're possibly looking at is, with the new population number. I don't know the right way that we're going to have to approach that if we decide we'd like to possibly do another package store if we're eligible. It looks like we may be this coming year. We may be, yeah. That's something we got to keep on the back burner and maybe look into it. If somebody approaches, the commission wondering if there is one available. We should know whether we have one or not. Probably. Yeah.
[Daria Tejera]: I think they usually issue the population thing to me around April. It's not due till end of January. I think once they get it from everybody, they probably issue it around April. okay so we already did the submission and it's just waiting for the abcc to i just need you guys to sign because remember i was having an issue with it uh yeah i'm gonna send it around just empty and then i'm gonna fill it out but it's all ready to go i have it you know already this is the population signatures what this is the population thing yeah the population of the renewal yeah
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: so if we do like so the population if it goes over like whatever it was 65,000 or like whatever kind of made it like jump up to the next availability for the next package store don't you think we should like we can be okay with it but don't uh shouldn't they should city council like have
[Daria Tejera]: be aware of that like okay you know so we don't let another liquor store open up without um sort of having like them being aware even though or does it matter i don't think it matters i think i don't know what matters yeah because i mean there's always popping up in the square i mean not in the square in the city is what i meant but i don't know if they're necessarily i mean well right as long as it's correct then Yeah, because I think they still have to go from what I understand, you still have to. I don't like you have to get some kind of permit, possibly, I think they still have to as a business. I think you still have to go to the city clerks. But. I know they don't even come in big because they don't serve food. Actually, I don't know about snacks, though, and all that stuff, because most of them sound like have chips and stuff.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: So like a convenience store though.
[Daria Tejera]: Yeah.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: I don't think it is.
[Robert Delafano]: Yeah. I don't, I don't think they'd really need anything other than what we normally just submit for paperwork. Um, you know, applying for a new license type of thing. Um, yeah, I don't see any reason why it'd, it'd have to go through the council, but, um, Yeah, it's been the first time that we've had one in a while, right?
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, yeah. How would the public be made aware of that? I'm just sort of wondering, like, what's like, you know, because there's probably a liquor store that is ready to snag that up and open up.
[Daria Tejera]: But you remember, they have to do advertisement and all of that. It would be a brand new license. So you would have to find where you would first do it. So as a business, then they would have to do advertisement for that business. The legal paper. So that's not like, you know, it's like a brand new license. So it's not going to be like in a day that they're going to be able to do that. Sure.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Maybe. How would somebody become aware that there was another license available?
[Robert Delafano]: I'm wondering if we should have to post that somehow. Like you said, make the public aware so that everybody's got the opportunity if they want to apply for it. You know, as many people can apply as they like.
[Daria Tejera]: Yeah, but you know what I'm wondering? I'm sorry, I don't want to interrupt you while you were saying that. I think the quota is up on ABCC, so people can just go and look. I remember how we were able to do that like last year or something where we were trying to find, I forgot why, maybe it was you actually, Bobby, that looked it up. So people can check too, and people do call, but it's just for the past, the email call. And for the past couple of years, you know, we haven't had any like for the past. four years we haven't had them.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Since I've been on. The last one we had was like, okay, the porch builds this build up, right? You know, the porch. And then next door they have a market. And I think they're only selling like beer and wine at the market, not liquor. Because we were like capped. Like, I feel like that was almost even the last one who was trying to get it. That might be just a side note, but you know who I bet would know is Ralph, like how these things work, because the guy knows everything pretty much, but you know, he's probably like, he's seeing like Worcester or something, which probably has had 10 more thousand people in the last couple of years. Cause you know, all the prices and how expensive Boston is and stuff. It's like these cities grow a lot too. He probably sees it all the time.
[Robert Delafano]: Yeah, I mean, I'm not sure whether you're required to post it or not, but yeah, it wouldn't hurt to reach out to Ralph and get his expert opinion on it, you know?
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, I mean, I bet he'd tell us. I don't know, Bob, if you mind asking him. I mean, there's no rush, but he's probably have months, but maybe it'd be nice to know.
[Robert Delafano]: Yeah, yeah, I can reach out to him. That's why I was kind of... Uh, inquiring with the area, uh, you know, she says sometime in April that we'll find out. So I don't know if maybe you want to wait to see if we're even eligible for another license. And if we are at that point, maybe reach out to Ralph and say, what's the appropriate way to, to handle this or do we have to do anything? Yeah.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, I'd say anytime we find out it's good information to have, you know, we think we're approaching it, ask them, you know, or we think we have approached it, you can ask them. Sure, yeah.
[Robert Delafano]: Next time we talk to them, we'll throw it out there. Yeah, yeah.
[Daria Tejera]: Yeah, because I'm thinking, like, we don't do that for restaurants either. Like, sometimes, like, I know we have a bunch of wine and malts still. Yeah, or is it all? No, it's the opposite. We have a bunch of alcohol. Why do most people have like limited three? I think is what we have. So we don't have to test. I mean, I don't know. I'm just thinking out loud.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: I think we don't because it's like that. We have so much. We have so many. Yeah. But I think like companies like Cappies or those guys, they're like very aware of like how many they can have. You know, I don't know. There's some that I think are pretty aware of all this or I think there's more interest in a package store.
[Daria Tejera]: Yeah, there is. There is because I've had like over years. Over probably 10 people reach out in total, maybe 20 people in total throughout the four years that I've been here. Yeah, if not more could be a little bit more. So, people do inquire. That's for sure. So,
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: It would be nice to be like, whatever the proper way of like letting them know, and then let them figure out, you know, like, let that happen on naturally. So we didn't get somebody saying, Oh, you know, I've been asking about this now.
[Daria Tejera]: Somebody told them, I tell them to there's no soul before when, um, Jim was here, Jim Flynn. I asked him if like do a list or something. He said, no, there's no list. You just, it's basically first come first serve. Like we cannot put people on the list. Like if you want it, if you come at the right time, you can, you know, get it or whatever, you know, apply for it. But it's not one of those things that will put you on the list and then, you know, you're next. You just kind of have to. I guess like follow up every couple months or every year or whatever. And I tell people like, you can reach out next year. And I tell them usually after April. So there's some ones that have reached out to me twice, like years, two years in a row, I guess. So people do follow up and yeah, cause we know from April and we know for a year we're definitely not getting one. So.
[Robert Delafano]: Yeah, I can I can see where Ben's coming from to kind of keeping it very transparent. Yeah. You know, you don't want people coming back and saying, oh, yeah, all the commission kept it hush hush. So their buddy is someone's buddy could get a license or whatever. I mean, it's. I think that, you know, it should, if it does come available, yeah, let's see what Ralph's got to say. I mean, it's like you say, Daria, first come, first serve. I mean, it's one of those deals, but it's, I don't know, let's look at all angles of it just so we don't do anything wrong here, you know, if in fact we do get it.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, I agree. Juicy information to the right person. So, okay, oh, so we don't forget, let's make a motion to, I can do it, we can make a motion to approve this 2023 annual report.
[Robert Delafano]: I'll second that motion.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Okay, all in favor.
[Robert Delafano]: Aye.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Aye. Okay, so any other business that we want to attend to during this meeting? I don't actually have any, but Anybody else?
[Robert Delafano]: Did we happen to hear back from KP Laudery here? No, not yet.
[Daria Tejera]: No, not yet. I don't think there's anything else. I did email Adam and I just told him I'm looking into it. He called me yesterday, but my phone was out, so I just emailed him. My phone is out, but I don't want people to be like, how are you emailing? She's in my hotspot.
[Robert Delafano]: I hope the city's going to pay you a cell bill this month.
[Daria Tejera]: No, no, no. It's fine. It's fine. Just getting work, you know, done so much easier in office. I'm only kidding. It's funny because I'm emailing, but I'm like, just an FYI, I'm using your hotspots, so I'm still getting emails. What can I call?
[Robert Delafano]: Can you please call this person so people don't think I'm just... What you might want to look into is talk to Maryann O'Connor because the city's got those hotspots, portable hotspots. It's funny that you say that.
[Daria Tejera]: Yeah. I just thought of that after you started to say Marianne. I forgot that she had those.
[Robert Delafano]: Yeah, the homebound vaccinations, we take them with us so that we can use them on the tablets, you know.
[Daria Tejera]: Yeah. Yeah, that's what it was for. Yep.
[Robert Delafano]: OK. So just we haven't been doing them, so they're probably just sitting there doing nothing anyways.
[Daria Tejera]: Yeah. Yeah. It's actually a good idea. Thank you, Bobby.
[Robert Delafano]: You're welcome. And they actually have got the tablets too, the full tablets that have the 5G service built into them. So like, you know, having an iPad with internet service type of thing. And I know that Borda Health has, I believe, I know they have at least one, but I thought they might've had two of those. So. Something to check with even the city nurse. She'll be able to help you out, Jill. She knows all that stuff that's there. She kind of maintains it and keeps it charged and does all of that.
[Daria Tejera]: Okay. Good to know. Okay.
[Robert Delafano]: Okay. I don't have any other business.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Okay. Then I will make a motion. It's 136. I'll make a motion to end the meeting at this point.
[Robert Delafano]: And I'll second that motion.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: All in favor.
[Robert Delafano]: Aye.
[MCM00001210_SPEAKER_04]: Okay. All right. Well, then the meeting is concluded. January meeting. I think that was good. That was great. Thanks, everybody. Good seeing everyone. Stay healthy. Stay healthy. Talk to you soon, guys. I know. Guys, stay healthy. All right.