MACHIAS, Maine — Selectmen tabled a decision Wednesday night on renewing a bar’s liquor license because they questioned whether the Thirsty Moose was selling enough food to meet state requirements.
The Thirsty Moose was applying for a Class XI restaurant-lounge malt, spirituous and vinous liquor license. A Class XI license also allows minors to be admitted to the business while alcohol is being served for concerts and other special events.
Also under the requirements of a Class XI license, the Thirsty Moose “must offer food for sale during all times they are serving liquor,” and annual food sales must exceed a minimum of $20,000.
The selectmen were concerned that the food sales should be a specific percentage of overall sales as compared to alcohol sales and tabled the license to give the town manager and the police chief time to research the Class XI license requirements. The license for the Thirsty Moose expires July 29.
A special amusement permit, which allows entertainment and games for the same business, was approved by the board.
The selectmen also asked Town Manager Christopher Loughlin to research whether a new employee had been hired as a part-time police officer or as a reserve officer.
Police Chief Grady Dwelley said he believed that Aaron Robinson had been hired as a part-time officer and therefore was entitled to accrue benefits, such as sick time and vacation days.
The confusion arose because Dwelley said that in 2006, the selectmen rolled the funding for that part-time position into the full-time salaries account. This was done to supplement the reserve officers funding since the town was having problems hiring a part-time officer, Dwelley said.
Meaghan Dennison, the town’s financial officer, said that when the funding was rolled into the full-time account, the part-time position was eliminated.
Several selectmen recalled that they kept the position intact, and Loughlin was directed to research previous selectmen’s meeting minutes to determine the status of the position.
In other business, the board was updated on a variety of sewer upgrades around town. Loughlin reported that a sewer replacement on Beal Street took far longer than expected because of equipment breakdowns.
Once Beal Street is completed, 700 feet of Court Street — between Down East Community Hospital and Machias Memorial High School — will be excavated. That project should take a week, Loughlin said.
From there, the top of Court Street Hill will be excavated and Loughlin said that may involve digging 14 to 17 feet deep.
The final project will be a sewer upgrade at the intersection of Colonial Way and U.S. Route 1 that will involve detouring westbound traffic up Court Street, down Free Street and back through the Colonial Way intersection. The company doing the work has asked to be able to work 24 hours a day for four to five days, Loughlin said.
The manager also reported that a Maine Department of Transportation plan to possibly return roads previously maintained by the state to 69 communities could negatively affect Machias.
Loughlin said the state is considering returning portions of U.S. Route 1, Route 1A, Route 92 and Route 192 to the town.
Loughlin said the state would first bring the roads up to standard and then provide a yearly maintenance fee to the town for plowing and maintaining them.
They are offering $7,500 a year per lane mile and are considering turning back 3.5 miles.
“This is an eye-opener,” Loughlin said. The MDOT committee overseeing the project has asked the state Legislature for six additional months to work out the plan.
“We’ll be watching this to see what develops,” Loughlin said.