METHUEN LICENSING BOARD SEARLES BUILDING, 41 PLEASANT STREET SECOND FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM #208 WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9, 2013 7:00PM MEETING of the Methuen Licensing Board on Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at 7:00pm in the second floor conference room, 41 Pleasant St. Present were Chairman MacLeod, Ronnie Parrino and Jim Piemonte (late). AGENDA Mr. Parrino motioned to approve the agenda seconded by Chairman MacLeod. MINUTES Mr. Parrino motioned to approve the minutes for Sept. 11 & Sept. 27. seconded by Chairman MacLeod. NEW BUSINESS APPROVED NOT YOUR AVERAGE JOE S, 90 Pleasant Valley St. applying for a change of manager from Robert Beliveau to Kenneth Woodrow. Chairman noted that the proposed manager could not attend. Mr. Parrino said he wants the manager present. Mr. Chairman commented that when it s a big corporation they typically have all the paperwork in order. However we did discuss that we do want the proposed manager present at the meetings. Mr. Parrino asked if the cori was done and was told by clerk that the ABCC does them now. Mr. Parrino also said how it was discussed that the manager should always be present. He said that he will make an exception. Mr. Parrino motioned to approve the change of manager contingent upon he is TIP certified. Mr. Piemonte asked if we have any information on his experiernce. The clerk read his application on his work experience at Ruby Tuesday s. Mr. Piemonte seconded the motioned. DISCUSSION Combination Improvement Club, 20 Combination St. Manager Dennis Matthews requested to appear regarding complaints received referencing numerous explosions on September 26, 2013 after which police were called. Representing Combination Club was manager Dennis Mathews, 375 Merrino St. and Arthur Lucas, 71 Chippy Lane, Methuen, MA Chairman MacLeod said he had ten written complaints from neighbors. He then asked Mr. Mathews if he was aware of the allegation. He said the bartender was very nervous when she heard the explosion. She said he was not a member and was never in the club. Mr. Chairman said he wanted to clarify that this is a private club. Members only. If I walk in what would I need to do. Mr. Mathews said sign the book. Mr. Piemonte said who would make you sign the book with a response of the bartender. You have to in with a member right. Mr. Mathews said yes. Mr. Piemonte asked if he had a book with him and the response was no. Mr. Piemonte asked the Methuen Police officers if they were at the establishment that evening. Officer Robert Peobody and Officer Jim Gunter were present. Mr. Piemonte asked if either of the officers noticed a sign in book with a no in response. Mr. Piemonte said the book should be visible. Mr. Piemonte said if a person walks in does a member have to know him to sign him in with a yes in response.
Mr. Lucas said that people don t usually come in the place unless they know people there. I think that person come in and couldn t get served and I think that s part of the reason. I was there that night and I heard something go off. Just the first one and then I left. Mr. Parrino said the Mr. Mathews said he didn t enter the building. Mr. Piemonte asked Mr. Mathews if he wanted to become a member how would he do that. Mr. Mathews said you fill out an application and have three members vouch for you and you have to wait thirty days. Mr. Piemonte said so you can be denied. Mr. Parrino asked if they were a non-profit organization and when they were established. Mr. Chairman asked when the CC was established with a 1910 in response. Mr. Chairman asked how long Mr. Mathews has been associated with the CC with a 30 years response. Mr. Chairman asked Mr. Lucas with a 1985-86 response. Mr. Chairman said he has read through the letters from neighbors. He then told the neighbors present that they would all have a chance to speak. Mr. Chairman said that he has a copy of the police report from the last year and there were about 6 calls. The letters were about people being scared especially kids. Also mentioned were cocaine dealings going on, they think it s a biker club. These are just some of the things in the letters. Mr. Piemonte said in the letters he read the biker gangs, hells angels. Do you have hells angels in your private club? Mr. Mathews answered that they have Ground Pounders as members but they sign in Hells Angels. They do come in but if I asked them to leave, they would. Mr. Chairman asked the police department to speak next. Officer Peobody, 90 Hampshire St. Methuen Police Department spoke first and said on the 26 th @630 rec d a call for a bang. Turned on street to find another cruiser on the street speaking to people. They said they heard two bangs back to back but did not see anyone or anything. While talking they heard another two bangs and went to CC to find smoke in the back of the club but did not see anyone. Mr. Piemonte asked Officer Peobody for his professional opinion on whether it was bigger than an M80 with a yes in response. He then asked if it could have been a small pipe bomb but Off. Peobody said he wasn t an expert. Officer Peobody checked the perimeter and I saw a lot of smoke and went inside the establishment and asked if anyone saw the person that did this and no one saw anything. We asked the bartender and she said she didn t see but she did hear it. We told her she was responsible for her guests. We left and there were a lot of people out and I talked to them and told them we talked to CC and didn t see anything. We have been back and have not heard of any other incidents. Mr. Parrino asked the # of patrons with a response of 7 or 8, 2 at the bar and another coming out of bathroom. Officer checked the bathroom To see if anyone could have throw something out the window and what time of night it was with a 6:30 and a Thursday night. Mr. Chairman confirmed it is at the very end of a street. Mr. Piemonte asked what the capacity is. Mr. Parrino asked how many members. Capacity is maybe 50 and 80 members answered Mr. Lucas. Mr. Piemonte asked where the members were from. Mr. Lucas said from the greater Lawrence area. All from this area, more from Methuen. We probably go weeks with no non-members coming in. Mr. Chairman asked if either people were there at the time of incident? Mr. Lucas said he was there and heard the explosion and he went outside and saw
the smoke and I left right after that. Mr. Chairman asked how many employees worked at the club. Mr. Matthews answered 5. Mr. Chairman asked if they are tip certified and answered yes however, Mr. Mathews said he was not. Mr. Piemonte told him he needs to get tip certified. Mr. Chairman asked who the bartender was and it was Sara. Sgt. James Gunter is here on behalf of MPD. The Chief of Police is requested a member list, a copy of the charter and we will be looking at your guest book. Every 3 months he would like a copy of the guest book. Mr. Parrino said that is a good idea and we should do that. Mr. Chairman said he would not single out the Combination Club and thought all clubs should do that. Mr. Chairman said to provide that. I also think it should be all the clubs. We rely on the Police Dept. Mr. Chairman asked Sgt. Gunter to give him a copy of the list. Officer Peobody said back in the early 2000 s, we had an undercover buying cocaine and the club was very cooperative back then. For the most part, they do cooperate. That night, nobody saw anything and that s the way it happens in Most clubs. Someone had to have seen something. I have a personal friend that lives in the area and his only complaint is the loud motorcycle. Officer Peobody said all the neighbors want is for the Combination Club to be good neighbors. If you send out letters from the club just put that in the letter. Also said most of the complaints are from outside the club. Coming and going. Paul O Neil, 31 Merrimack St. spoke and said one night he was walking and heard a loud explosion, it was probably a ½ stick. I ran to my house. Then heard two more explosions. My daughter should be able to play without being afraid. Especially this day and age. I heard the loud explosion. I went over to the fence and heard someone say, you better get out of here. I have nothing against the club; it happened 3 times. They had the arrogance to do it again and again. Someone should have held the person until the cops came. The past two weeks have been great. The noise level has got to go down. Chris Benoit, 17 Slays St. said he was out with his son Someone should have held the person until the cops came. The past two weeks have been great. The noise level has got to go down. He said he went around and could not get one person to sign a paper or come in tonight because they were afraid. Mr. Chairman read a letter from the neighbors which no one would sign their name to. It s anonymous and they fear retaliation. This is what I read. Inaudible. Tom Conlon, 26 Slays said he is a direct abutter and has been there 13 years. Its always been a good relationship. There were cookouts and they took care of tree limbs on my side on the fence. The last five years, there s been sort of a difference especially with the motorcycles and they are gang members. You can see it on the back of their jackets. My house is directly in their yard. Two o clock in the morning, you can hear them taking off, racing up to decimals way high. And also asked why the name is improvement club. Chairman said back in the day when all the clubs were formed they were giving back to the neighbors. That was the principal. They wanted to establish roots and work and have a social time in the community. It s a different set of rules for a club. These clubs should be serving food and they are non profit. Mr. Parrino said clubs got started by the neighborhood, a couple of streets by the club became the founders and started they re own charter and filed with the state and filed as non profit for the betterment of the community and to donate back to the town or city for scholarships for children, donations for like little league, fund raisers and make donations back and not make any money. Break even and keep
everyone in the neighborhood happy. The Sargeant Club in 1939 and have a good reputation. There s 150 members and they have a Christmas party. Tom Conlon said the numbers of bikers and the quality of life is changed. The drug deals we see things going on outside. I d like to see the relationship go back. The bikers have taken over. Mr. Piemonte said he grew up in the area. The problem is and I d like to see the charter. Know I need to be sponsored. That s how bikers take over because they are voted in my members. Speaking to the manager If this was your street, your neighborhood and you could not become a member because its been infiltrated by other people. How would you feel. I think there s something wrong with the charter. D. Mathews inaudible. Mr. Piemonte said I could get a hundred people to go in there and become members and keep everyone else out. And when you re anon profit, it shouldn t matter to you whether your busy or now. You should be there for the community. You have some serious issues. This is more serious that a fire work going off. You have gang affiliated motorcycle gangs up and down the street with kids and you wouldn t want it in your yard. You need to be policing that. If they are breaking the rules and I m sure everybody is very friendly to you. Officer Peobody said he wants to sit on Combination Street so the people can sleep. That s my attitude, it s not fair to them. Mr. Conlon said his wife calls the club and asked them to shut the door. Mr. Piemonte asked when the last time the club gave a donation. MR. Mathews said St. Anne s orphanage 2 years ago. We are having financial problems. Mr. Parrino told the club to have a meeting with the board. Officer Peobody told how it bothered him that no one in the club called when they heard the explosion. They take care of their own. If there is a fight, no one calls. Mr. Lucas said everyone gets along and they re aren t any fights. He also said he leave early around 8. Mr. Piemonte told how he has experience in club, restaurants and bars. He added that fights are around midnight when you re not there. You guys need to get back into it. I think you have lost control of your club. If you don t, we will. Mr. Parrino said the club needs to call an emergency meeting as the manager, board of directors, president or whoever runs that club and get done soon and get it documented and get the word out. It needs to be corrected. The neighbors aren t happy and if they are not happy, we re all unhappy. We want you to run a business and make money but when we get complaints whether it be noise or a motorcycle, that bothers me. You can t tell them to turn it down. Tell them they can t come in for two weeks. Quiet things down in the neighborhood. Keep the neighbors happy. Don t cover it up; you know its there. You should call the police. Mr. Chairman said it sounds like the club is out of control. You ve been around for a number of years and I don t want to see we let this slide. I don t want people to think what did they do for us. what did the police do for us. We work with the Police Department. That parking lot belongs to you. Someone should be policing it. If they see something, say something. Start policing. If I get another complaint, you re probably going to get a suspension. It could be a 3 day, it could be a 10 day. I don t want to revoke the license. You heard from some neighbors, you heard from the police. You seem like you have a good place, it needs some tlc. A little attention to detail. Mr. Parrino said maybe you can bring up the revenue too. Maybe some of your customers will go back there. I have been involved but for the record not on the board at the Sargeant Improvement Club in the Valley. We have parties and tents. We invite the neighbors. Sign the book and come in.
I ve been in there a few times. No one asked me to sign a book. No one asked me to leave. I was not a member of the licensing board at the time. You need to clean up and make the neighbors happy and this board happy. The police are here to protect us. There are nine letters of neighbors who are not even here. They are afraid of retaliation. Mr. Piemonte said he felt like this is a real problem. You have a lot of work. Mr. Chairman said the Police Chief is asking for a member list, a copy of your charter and current guest book. I don t think it s unreasonable. They want copies. Mr. Piemonte asked Mr. Chairman to set a time frame. Maybe three days. Tuesday morning bring to the clerk. Mr. Chairman said we don t want to see you in here again. Mr. Parrino said to Mr. Matthews to straighten it out. You re the boss. He asked if the club paid property taxes with a yes. Mr. Chairman thanked everyone for coming in. Tuesday morning bring requested paperwork. Mr. Piemonte motioned that the Combination Club bring in requested paperwork Tuesday morning and also the manager to get TIP certified. Also this is a probationary period. Mr. Parrino seconded the motion and requested to mend the motion and also that the manager get TIP certified and that all the TIP certifications of bartenders be given to the Police Department in the packet. Unanimous. APPROVED Vote on 2014 Licensing fees. Mr. Piemonte motioned not to raise the fees. Mr. Parrino seconded the motion. Unanimous. Mr. Parrino motioned to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Piemonte seconded the motion. I do hereby certify that a meeting of which a quorum was present, the foregoing minutes were adopted by the Methuen Licensing board by a unanimous vote on November 13, 2013. Respectfully submitted Judie Hajjar, Licensing Clerk Submitted November 13, 2013