Saugus board wary of liquor license bill

SAUGUS – Saugus Selectman and state Rep. Donald Wong is co-sponsor of a bill that would give the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission authority to grant off-site catering liquor licenses to restaurants across the commonwealth.And while work on The Private Function Caterers Act of 2011 has been ongoing, several selectmen last week took issue with the bill.?I?m very displeased with this bill because it allows the ABCC to issue liquor licenses for private function caterers,” said Selectman Michael Serino. “It bypasses the town and the licenses are issued directly from the ABCC.”Selectman Scott Crabtree urged Wong, owner of the Kowloon Restaurant, to rework the wording in the bill so that it would preserve local authority.Serino also took issue with a proposed annual $1,500 fee, saying it would go to the ABCC and not the town.?Once the license is issued, your selectmen or licensing authority ? have no authority over that license,” said Serino. “I?m surprised you had sponsored that, Mr. Chairman, after you know what this board has gone through the last year and half cleaning up the mess we inherited on Route 1 with shootings and stabbings.”But in a phone interview on Friday, Wong said the bill is still in the works, and all of these provisions are still negotiable.?Everything is not etched in stone,” said Wong. “I?m not sure the other selectmen understood the bill. Towns and cities can always be stricter than the ABCC. If a (caterer) abuses it, the town or the ABCC can always take it away. Right now they?re talking about the $1,500 ? about some of that going to the town or having a separate fee.”According to a summary of the bill, alcohol would not be served for more than 5 hours during an event and all servers of alcohol are to be certified by a nationally recognized alcoholic beverages server-training program.The bill would also give the ABCC the authority to “modify, suspend, revoke or cancel” a license if proof could be shown of any violations.As a restaurant owner himself, Wong said he checked with the Ethics Committee to make sure there was no conflict of interest by his co-sponsoring the bill.?It?s not a conflict because this bill is not just for me it?s for the whole state,” said Wong. “If it was just for Kowloon then it would be a conflict.”Wong said he sponsored the bill to prevent individuals from purchasing alcohol from liquor stores and serving it illegally at functions without insurance or trained staff. He said towns could see increased meals tax revenues if caterers would be allowed to serve liquor along with food off-site.?Right now restaurants cannot serve liquor off premises,” said Wong. “If this goes through, restaurants would have to have liquor liability insurance and qualified bartenders. It would employ more people, regulate alcohol at parties and the town would get more tax dollars.”