Saugus nightclub incident sparks licensing board debate

SAUGUS – The brawl at Jin Asian Restaurant complex has spurred some to suggest that the Charter Commission’s proposal to create a Licensing Board separate from the Board of Selectmen is an idea whose time has come.The Charter Commission’s draft proposal calls for a separate licensing board and stipulates that no one with any connection to a licensed establishment would be asked to serve.Charter Commission Chairman Peter Manoogian, speaking on his own behalf, said it irks him to see surrounding communities such as Lynn and Revere handle their licensing issues swiftly and efficiently, while Saugus does not. Manoogian pointed to tonight’s Board of Selectmen agenda that shows continued hearings for both Tabu Ultra Lounge and Oasis, which sits at the base of Jin, to support his argument. He said hearings are continually dragged out and he believes that wouldn’t happen with a licensing board.He also said he believes a separate licensing board would be less political, which could also lead to shorter, swifter hearings.The Jin Complex is owned by a New York business man, but Orchid – the club inside Jin – is being held responsible for the brawl. It is managed by former Selectman Anthony Cogliano.Selectman Stephen Horlick agreed with Manoogian’s assessment, but colleagues Michael Kelleher and Peter Rossetti did not, and Stephen Castinetti said he was undecided.”I’ve thought about it and I’m not sure how I feel,” Castinetti said. “But I do think that regardless of who handles it, they will still face the same issues the board does.”Castinetti noted that much of what the board does centers on licensing, whether its alcohol, entertainment or otherwise. He said a separate licensing board would simply take a duty away from the selectmen, but carry with it the same hurdles.On the thought that an appointed board would be less political, Castinetti was again dubious.”Whether its elected or appointed, the clubs would operate the same,” he said.Kelleher agreed, saying the incidents at the club should not be blamed on the Selectmen because it is likely the New Year’s Eve party would have gotten out of hand no matter who issued the license.”It’s not our fault,” Kelleher said. “(The brawl) would have gone down with a licensing board or with the Board of Selectmen.Manoogian, however, said Cogliano should have had to come before the board when he opened Orchid, although three of the selectmen argued that changes within the club were not significant enough to warrant a new license hearing.Horlick disagreed. He said the Jin brawl is the perfect example of why there should be a separate licensing board. Like Manoogian, Horlick said that the difference between the selectmen and a licensing board is a licensing board could issue a letter and hold a hearing within roughly 21 days. While the selectmen could also take action as swiftly, it rarely does unless it’s a large incident such as the New Year’s melee.”They tend to wait for a number of incidents to take place rather than acting right away,” Horlick said. “I’m surprised the ABCC (Alcohol Beverage Control Commission) hasn’t come in and taken our license granting authority away.”Kelleher said he also believed that an elected board would respond to incidents such as the fight with a little more concern for the community, which Manoogian essentially called absurd. Manoogian said he didn’t believe the Planning Board nor the Conservation Commission worked any less because they are appointed rather than elected.Kelleher, however, said Saugus was still a small town and a licensing board was simply not the answer.