SOUTHWICK – A public hearing on the town’s updated liquor license regulations was conducted in just 11 minutes last night.
With few questions or concerns from the audience, the Board of Selectmen closed the hearing on the new regulations, which Town Counsel Benjamin Coyle said were “very similar to the ones enacted now.”
The biggest change is the requirement for all licensed establishments to participate in Training and Intervention Procedures for Servers (TIPS).
The regulations require the licensed manager and at least one employee be TIPS-certified and at work during all hours of operation. Both off-premise and on-premise TIPS certification is required. Off-premise is for managers or servers in stores that sell liquor, while on-premise is for those working in restaurants, bars, hotels and night clubs. Barbacks, bartenders, servers, managers and owners are included in the regulations.
Police Det. Robert Landis noted that all paperwork regarding employees and TIPS must be up-to-date and readily available at all times.
An updated roster must be submitted to the Board of Selectmen acting as the Liquor Commission, when submitting an annual application for license renewal. Amendments should be submitted when there are changes.
“The roster shall include employee name, date of birth, type of training, date completes, and date of expiration,” states the new rules. “All personnel shall be required to be recertified once every three years by the approved program.”
Landis noted that while decks and patios are not generally used in cold months, they are often used as a smoking area and businesses must control the alcohol going outside. Landis also said the hours of business listed on the license are the hours that must be kept, and police would monitor hours.
“We’re not looking at times when it’s slow and you close early, we’re looking for long-term situations,” he said.
Coyle said the plan was for the regulations to be in place for Jan. 1, 2015.
