show cause called for two Saugus clubs

SAUGUS – In one of his first public acts as Police Chief Domenic DiMella has recommended that both Tabu Ultra Lounge and Nightclub and Oasis be called in for show cause hearings.
Selectmen approved the recommendation and set a tentative date of Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. for both hearings.
On April 30 the board voted to bring Oasis in for a show cause hearing based on a recommendation by then Chief James MacKay, but a date for the hearing was never set.
A heated debate on whether to bring Tabu in for a similar hearing had ended in a standoff. The result was no hearing for Tabu largely because MacKay said he didn’t believe the club needed to be brought in.
Since that discussion Tabu has been the site of several incidents, some violent, which DiMella said caused him to change the department’s stance on the issue.
“Due to the number of calls and the violence, mostly in the parking lot, I recommend a show cause hearing,” DiMella said.
He added that the hearing was specifically because the clubs failed to protect their employees, patrons and the public inside or outside the clubs, which they are required to do according to the liquor rules and regulations.
With Chairman Donald Wong forced to sit out the discussion on the clubs because he is a liquor license holder, Vice Chairman Stephen Castinetti has been running the meetings on the clubs.
Selectman Stephen Horlick recently took Castinetti to task for not setting the date for Oasis but Castinetti said Tuesday he has not been dragging his feet. He said he was merely waiting for DiMella to make his recommendation before acting since DiMella was the new chief. He also said now that the board had voted to call Tabu in they could take up both clubs on the same night.
The board will meet Thursday, Aug. 21 to go over each incident in question and formalize the hearing complaints against Tabu and Oasis. After the clubs are formerly served notice the hearing must be posted for two weeks.
Selectman Michael Kelleher said he hopes the issue might be resolved prior to the date of the hearings. He asked that Town Counsel sit down with attorneys from both clubs to try and settle the public safety issues thus eliminating the need for what could be a lengthy and costly show cause hearing.
Board members agreed to having the attorneys meet but added the plan would not preclude the board form moving ahead with the hearings.
The preliminary meeting to go over each complaint will be held Thursday at 7 p.m. tentatively in the training room in the Public Safety building on Hamilton Street. The public hearing is slated for Oct. 1, 7 p.m. in Town Hall auditorium.