License Commission - Regular Meeting

Good morning, folks. I'm Anthony Vigliardi. I'll be chairing today's meeting of the Worcester License Commission. On my left is Commissioner Sharon Fisher. On my right, Commissioner Maritza Cruz. And on my far right, from the Office of Inspectional Services, Deborah Steele, representing the City of Worcester Law Department, Attorney Amanda Moran, and from the Worcester Police Department, Sergeant Thomas Needham. This is a public meeting, and it's a hybrid meeting, which means it is both being recorded and you can access either in person or online. The link to get online is to go through the Worcester License Commission. If you're online, we ask you to hit star six to mute your computer until you're ready to speak, and then hit star six to unmute when you're ready to speak. Once there are several items on the agenda that will be continued to postpone, I'll announce those as we go through the meeting. The conduct of the meeting is that we call the application. You will be heard. Commissioners will ask questions. Staff will ask questions. And it may be public inquiry and comments and questions. If you've applied for a regular liquor license today, If it's approved, it'll be uploaded to the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission's website. It takes approximately four to six weeks to get a response. And in the meantime, you will be responsible for obtaining any of the permits that are necessary, such as building fire and code. With that, I call to order the meeting of the Worcester License Commission.

Recording in progress.

Thursday, August 20th.

Second.

Commissioner Cruz? Yes. Commissioner Fischer? Yes. Chair Vigliotti?

Yes. Motion to approve the minutes of the August 6th, 2026 meeting.

No, second. Commissioner Cruz? Yes. Commissioner Fischer? Yes. Chair Vigliotti?

Yes. First items on the agenda are one day liquor and entertainment request. The first one, a motion to postpone to September 10th, 2026.

Second. Commissioner Cruz? Yes. Commissioner Fischer? Yes. Chair Vigliotti?

Yes. Number two on the agenda, Victoria Mariano, 26 Milbury Street. Request for one-day liquor license for Saturday, August 29th from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Ms. Mariano, are you online?

Yep. Hello.

Good morning.

Name and where you live. Oh, Victoria Mariano, and I'm in Spencer, Massachusetts.

Okay. Tell us about the application, please.

Sure. Um, so we did this a bunch of times last summer and it went really well, but we're only requesting to do it once this year. Um, and we just have our art vendors, uh, outside on the street and, um, a little outdoor bar and some extra seating. Uh, it's right next to, um, electric haze, which has restrooms and, um, extra seating and, um, music inside.

And how many people do you expect to attend?

At one time, it was really no more than 50 last year. People kind of come and go.

Okay. And where are you getting your liquor from?

The typical distributors that we use at Electric Hayes, so mostly Atlas.

And whom do you have for tip certified?

Tip certified, we have Corey Nevers, Fanta Sese, and Xander Garfinkel.

Commissioner Fisher.

No questions. Commissioner Cruz.

No questions.

Sergeant Needham. No issues. I actually stopped down at the last event. It seemed to be pretty well run. Victoria was on site. Security, did they all sit with, did they need a road closure?

Through the chair, no.

Okay. Is there anyone present or online that has any questions or comments? Hearing none, motion to approve.

Second. Commissioner Cruz? Yes. Commissioner Fisher? Yes. David Guglielmi?

Yes. Thank you. Enjoy the event.

Thank you so much. Have a good day, guys.

You too. Number three on the agenda, Worcester Night Market, Franklin Street, downtown Worcester. Request for one-day entertainment license for dancing by entertainers, recorded music, live music, amplification system, karaoke for Saturday, September 19th from 4 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. Anyone present on it? Would you kindly go to that microphone? You know what? You don't have to. Come right over here. It's OK. Come right over here.

Did you skip number two?

No, we just did number two.

Good morning, everyone.

Good morning. Good morning.

I'm sorry.

Yes, come on.

OK. Please identify yourself and where you live.

Either one. OK. My name's Holly Ashton. I'm a co-executive director of Rice Mine. I live in Lester, Massachusetts.

Okay, so tell us about this application that we have before us.

So we submitted an application for...

Hold on, does that have a green light on it?

Yes, I can talk louder. So we sent an application for the Worcester Night Market, which would be Worcester's first night market on September 19th, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. on Franklin Street in downtown Worcester. We've had some media coverage from MassLive, and also if anyone knows Tina Vo from Live to Eat, She's also covered the discussions around the event, and it would be a mix of entertainment, but also food and craft vendors.

Would you like to say anything? Yes, what Holly said. Okay. Commissioner Fisher. No questions. Commissioner Cruz. No questions. Sergeant Edom.

Just, again, we got some road closures. They take it up that church street in Franklin.

In the chair, yes, they are working with you.

Working with DPW and how many people do you expect to attend?

It's our very first ever festival.

With road closures and it's taking up all of Church Street?

It's Franklin. Franklin.

You might want to touch base with our detail office to possibly get some officers assigned to assist with pedestrian traffic. Thank you. If you need a number or a contact name. Is that Mark Sawyer? Yes.

Can I take his contact just again? Sure.

508 799 86 8-6. Do we need to make an appointment? Do we need to make an appointment in March? Do I just go there after this? The offices are generally staffed Monday through Friday, 7.30 in the morning to 4. If not, call up, leave a voicemail. I'll get a hold of you.

Thank you so much for the touch, though. We're getting a message today. It's unstable. I'm not sure why, but...

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, anything else?

Yes. If you have questions.

Is there anyone present or online that has any questions or comments? Hearing none, motion to approve. Second.

Commissioner Cruz? Yes. Commissioner Fischer? Yes. Chairman Villanueva? Yes.

Thank you, enjoy the event.

Thank you so much. Please come if you can that day. Thank you.

Thank you.

Sounds good, yeah. Welcome back to Worcester for that.

You just dropped a business card.

Have a great day. Number four on the agenda, Summer Block Party, 23 Oxford Street, request for one day entertainment license for music for Saturday, August 22nd, from noon to 6 p.m. Is there anyone present or online to address this application? We'll hold to the end. Number five on the agenda is the canal diggers for 19 Temple Street. A motion to postpone to 9-10-26. Second.

Commissioner Cruz? Yes. Commissioner Fisher? Yes. Chair Vigliotti?

Yes. Next on the agenda are alcohol and detainment requests. Mezcal Tequila Cantina Inc. DBA to fix. 108 Grove Street. Request for alteration of premise. Request for change of manager. You can come right up here, sir. We have a small crowd today.

Yeah. Should we do seven as well?

Are you involved in number seven also?

I'm here for number items six, seven, and eight.

Okay. I'm going to call number seven, Miss Cal Tequila Container, 11 East Central Street. Request for change of manager. Number eight, Bistro Bar, Inc., DBA Green Island Oyster Bar, 90 Hiding Street. A request for change of manager. You're on. Name and address, please.

My name is David Green. I'm from Worcester, Mass.

Is that green button on? Yes, it is. Okay. So let it be shown that the commission did do a view of the fix on Grove Street this morning. Please tell us about what you're doing and the change of managership.

Well, on the extension of premise, we've taken over a small space adjacent to the existing space. We have opportunity there to store alcohol, to host private events, and to offer to go when appropriate. So we're trying to reserve the right to do all three.

And who's the new manager for the property? That would be Lisa Gittix. And who's the manager for Mezcal? I'm sorry, the Central Street Mezcal. That'll be Dana Porter. And the new manager for the Green Island Oyster Bar? Samantha Thomas. Okay. Sergeant Liam.

Based on the background check of all three proposed managers, there's nothing that would statutorily prevent the application and appointment of that individual moving forward. And the... Other item on the agenda regarding the alteration of premise we did view. Everything checks out with that. Thank you. Commissioner Fischer.

No questions.

Commissioner Cruz.

No questions.

Sarge, any other questions? No. Anybody present online have any questions or comments? Hearing none, motion to approve number six, number seven, and number eight on the agenda. Second.

Second. Commissioner Cruz? Yes. Commissioner Fischer? Yes. Chair Vigliotti?

Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Nine on the agenda, Assumption University, PS Pub, 500 Salisbury Street. Request for change of officers and directors. Is there anyone present or online to address this application?

Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. I am attorney Margo Gillis with McDermott, Quilty, Miller and Hanley LLP in Boston. And I am here on behalf of the licensee Assumption University. We are here for a change of officer's director's application. This is an internal administrative personnel change. The amendment is to remove Christina Graziano as clerk and replace her with Michael T. Matria as clerk. There are no other changes being made, and there will be no change in day-to-day operations of the license. Please let me know if you have any questions.

I'm sorry. Thank you. Let me call number 10 also. Assumption University, 500 Salisbury Street. Request for change of officers and directors. Is one for the PS Pub, and what is the second one for?

It's for the general premise license. So it's the same amendment. It's to remove Christiana Graziano as clerk and replace her with Michael T. Matria as clerk for the university. Thank you.

Commissioner Fisher.

No questions. Commissioner Cruz. No questions. Sergeant Needham.

Based upon the background investigation, there's nothing that would statutorily prevent the application moving forward.

Anybody present online have any questions or comments? Hearing none, motion to approve number nine, number 10.

Second. Commissioner Cruz. Yes. Commissioner Fisher. Yes. Chair Vigilante.

Yes. Thank you.

Thank you.

Number 11 on the agenda, Punta Cana Bar and Grill Restaurant Inc., 795 Main Street. a request for change of manager, a request of change of officers and directors. Anyone present or online to address this application? We'll hold it until the end. Number 12 on the agenda, Paku Paku, 215 Chandler Street, motion to postpone to the 9-10-26 meeting of the Worcester License Commission.

Second. Commissioner Cruz? Yes. Commissioner Fischer? Yes. Chair Vignelli?

Yes. Number 13 on the agenda, Italian American and World War veterans of the US Inc. Post 314 ITM Court. Request for change of manager. Anybody present or online to address this application?

To the chair, we actually have been making some progress. They have arranged to fix their corporate papers. Sergeant Needham spoke with Ralph Saccomoni, head of the State Alcohol Beverage Control Commission. They just need to file another amendment so Sergeant Needham can vet it, and then that will be present on the next agenda.

A motion to postpone it to the 9-10-26 meeting of the Worcester License Commission.

Second. Commissioner Cruz? Yes. Commissioner Fisher? Yes. Chair Vigliari?

Yes. 14, Dubai Restaurant and Lounge, DBA, Mexitown Bar and Grill, 105 Water Street, request to stay open to 2 a.m., request for bottle service. Good morning.

Good morning.

Let the record show that the commission did do a view of the premises that is now before us.

My name is Adrian Taveras, and I live from Western. So on this request to stay till 2, we would just like to have that extra hour to have patients come in. We do have our nightclub license through the CI, and we just want to have that extra hour of dancing and have events going on until 2 a.m. And then the request for barter service, we have designated areas, barter host they will have for this designated area that we have in the back.

Thank you.

Commissioner Fisher. No questions. Commissioner Cruz. No questions.

Sergeant Needham. No issues. Anyone present or online have any questions or comments? Hearing none, a motion to approve.

Second. Yes. Mr. Fisher. Yes. Chair Vigna.

Yes, thank you. Have a great day, guys. Good luck with the new business. Thank you. Gallows.

Set the tone early, Adrian.

Yeah. Before I go through the status hearings, let's go back to the holes. First one was number four, summer block party, 23 Oxford Street, request for one day entertainment license for music, Saturday, August 22nd, from noon to 6 p.m. That's this weekend.

Nobody's online, right?

Is there anyone present or online for this application? Commissioners, any thoughts?

Nobody's online.

No one's here, and this is this weekend, so.

Yeah, we're here.

Motion to file. Deny. Deny. Motion to deny.

Do you need a second? Second. Commissioner Cruz? Yes. Commissioner Fischer? Yes.

Chair Vigliotti?

Yes.

People need to show up. And then number 11.

Number 11, Porta Cana Bar and Grill, 795 Main Street. Request for change of manager, request change of officers and directors. Anybody present online to address this application? Hearing none, motion to deny.

No, postpone. Postpone that to the next meeting. Because it's a change of manager.

Okay. All right. Motion to postpone to the next meeting.

Second. Commissioner Cruz? Yes. Commissioner Fisher? Yes. Chair Vigliotti? Yes.

Number 15 on the agenda, Italian-American Oral Act Vets, a U.S. IDM court failure to file amended paperwork. Anybody present on the line to address this application? Hearing none, motion to postpone to the 9-10 meeting of the Worcester License Commission.

Second.

Commissioner Cruz? Yes. Commissioner Fischer? Yes. Chair Guglielmi?

Yes. Communications, ABCC Communications, LEPA Sports Bar decision. What is the decision?

Through the chair, as you will recall, about a year and a half ago, this applicant filed for a liquor application. It was voted down by the board. They appealed to the state. The state just rendered the decision and upheld the Worcester's denial.

Motion to file? Yes.

Second. Commissioner Cruz? Yes. Commissioner Fisher? Yes. Chair Biglietti?

Yes. Any old business? Any new business?

Yes. I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE STATUS OF SPECIAL EVENTS, HOW THAT'S GOING ONLINE, PLEASE. IF WE CAN GET A REPORT ON THAT.

OKAY.

SAY IT AGAIN, PLEASE.

I DIDN'T HEAR THAT.

OH. IT WOULD BE LOOKING AT THE STATUS OF, I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN SPECIAL EVENTS TRYING TO KIND OF STREAMLINE IT, SO WE'RE ASKING FOR IT TO GO ONLINE, AND SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE STATUS OF THAT IS WITH THE SPECIAL EVENTS, ESPECIALLY THIS

body has a lot to do with it when we grant permits and so the past few years we've been trying we have an open gov system where applicants they're doing a special event like a big festival we're trying to get it all moved online so every if someone applies all the permits would be in one place So someone comes in, applies for a permit, you'd get a link for every single permit at the same time, and then you'd have one contact person at the end if they had questions. So she's just looking for a status of when it'll be going online.

Was that presented before? Well, it wasn't presented before. I know that there's been initial criticism, actually, from the community of the city because everything is kind of, like separated, so you end up like calling this person here or calling that person there, and this one doesn't know what is going on. I know that had this issue. I know anyone like having any, doing any special event, and I know that we experienced this issue this weekend, you know, where people are not really connecting. And for folks who don't know how to navigate a system, I think it's really important to have everything in one place, like she says, where it's click and there's a link, and then at the end of the day, There's one person who knows exactly what's going on.

So is it a link for persons to have special events and know where to go and what to require?

Through the chair. Know where to go. All the applications will be in one place. If you're applying for legal license, you'd know right away, oh, I need to go to the License Commission for a hearing.

Will that be on the Worcester License Commission website?

Correct. There'll be links. If you need a food truck, it'll connect you with the food department, the fire department. All the links would be in one place.

So has this, I guess through the chair, has this been presented before?

Through the chair. I know it's a priority of the city managers and they've, uh, technical services have been working on it, but I'm not sure what the status of went a little live. And that's what the commissioner.

I think internally it's really, would be really helpful for the staff that works, you know, in each department because, um,

I have one new question. Why is the question on NIPS going to the Board of Health rather than coming to the Worcester License Commission?

Through the Chair, I'm actually not familiar with what this was.

There was an order for a study to prohibit the sale of NIPS in the City of Worcester. That was publicized, and it was being sent to the Board of Health Commission for us to study and comment.

Through the chair, I can check and find out for you for the next meeting.

The commission felt that it was an issue that should have come before. It was the licensed commission, not the Board of Health.

Through the chair, I will find out and get you the information for the next meeting.

And they came out of the community because of the amount of litter, of the nips that you find in the streets, on the sidewalks. Just littering everywhere. Perhaps that's why it's a Board of Health issue. Yeah. But I don't know. I know. I'm one of the people complaining.

Any other new business to be discussed? Hearing none, motion to adjourn.

Second. Commissioner Cruz? Yes. Commissioner Fisher? Yes. Chair Viglia? Yes.