Plainfield board with life-and-death power publishes public meeting schedule

Licenses are color coded as follows: GREEN = Restaurants serving alcohol,
BLUE = Bars, RED = Liquor Stores, YELLOW = Clubs.

In early 2017, Plainfield's City Council voted to give up its prerogative to sit as the local Alcoholic Beverage Control Board by passing an ordinance creating a standing ABC board.

Over time, a funny thing happened: We no longer heard of the ABC Board or actions it has taken. These used to be the subject of intense public scrutiny and comment when the Council had the responsibility.

A search on the City website returned no information on the ABC Board.

There is no entry on the City website though all boards and commissions are supposed to be listed. In addition, while the land use boards (Planning, Zoning, Historic Preservation, and Shade Tree) have their documents on the website, the ABC does not.

The ABC's meetings and hearings are subject both to the "Sunshine Law" (requiring adequate public notice) and the Open Public Meetings Act.

Not only that, the ABC Board has quasi-judicial powers: Rulings made as a result of hearings have the force of law and can go so far as to put a licensee out of business (as with Clinton Liquors a few years ago).

So it is a pleasant surprise for the current chairperson, David Graves, to release a schedule for the year ahead --

• Wednesday, February 19
  
• Wednesday, April 15
• Wednesday, June 24
• Wednesday, July 15
• Wednesday, September 16
• Wednesday, December 16

All meetings are at 7:00 PM in City Hall Library, except for the December meeting, which is in the 2nd Floor Conference Room.

Liquor licenses are renewed annually in June (though the process can drag on because of lateness in getting paperwork in order, financial considerations, and appeals to the state).

The ABC Board works with the Municipal Clerk, who oversees the administrative aspects of license renewal, and the Police Division, which generates reports and recommendations for penalties for licenses. Among the reasons a licensee may be penalized are --

• sales to minors,
• not having employee documentation in order,
• after-hour sales,
• fights or other disturbances on the premises, and
• sales or use of drugs on the premises.

In the case of proposed penalties, licensees have the right to an evidentiary hearing, representation by counsel, and appeal to the state, which may uphold, modify or overrule the local ABC Board's decision.

The next meeting, open to the public, is this Wednesday (February 19) at 7:00 PM in City Hall Library.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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