Overview:
Two articles seeking to expand the town’s all-alcohol and beer and wine licenses were approved at Monday’s Annual Town Meeting in Athol.
ATHOL – Two articles seeking to expand the town’s all-alcohol and beer and wine licenses were approved at Monday’s Annual Town Meeting.
Article 25 asks the Selectboard to pursue a home rule petition to the state legislature to add five all-alcohol licenses to the town’s current inventory of three, all of which have been assigned to local retailers.
The Selectboard placed the article on the warrant in response to a petition from Country Convenience owner George Patel, which was signed by several dozen people.
Resident Edward Given, who supported the article, described Athol as “a community worth investing in.”
“The merchants in the downtown area need support, and I believe that by granting this, it will bring more people, more money, more support into the downtown area,” Given added. “It creates tax revenue. It creates jobs. That’s something that we all support – at least, I believe so.”
He also argued that many of the stores in Athol that have licenses to sell beer and wine have done so with no issues. None, he said, had been cited for selling alcohol or tobacco to minors.
Tom Williams wanted to know what is being done, or can be done, to rescind the license of “retailers that are repeatedly causing issues and possibly reissuing them to the places that are looking to get new licenses or upgrade their licenses.”
He noted that the two articles taken together could add 10 new licenses to sell some type of alcoholic beverage in Athol. Adding that number of licenses to a “relatively small community of 12,000 people…seems unnecessary to me.”
Sean Foster of Northfield, owner of Athol Spirits, was given permission to speak to the meeting. Arguing against any new licenses, he said that in addition to retailers who currently sell alcoholic beverages in Athol, there are also 15 restaurants and clubs where they are available.
“So, there are already 23 places in Athol where anybody can go and buy alcoholic beverages,” he said.
Foster added that the licenses wouldn’t be available solely to local retailers, but could also be obtained by stores like Market Basket and Hannaford, who are in direct competition with local businesses.
“I don’t believe five additional licenses are necessary at this time,” Athol Police Chief Jarret Mousseau told the meeting. The increased availability of alcohol, he said, “would negatively affect public safety and the character of our community. Greater availability of alcohol typically leads to more calls for service, including impaired drivers, disturbances, and other alcohol-related incidents.”
He explained that the Police Department is going to lose one officer this year due to budget cuts, with more possibly coming in FY28. As a result, he continued, “we cannot safely absorb an increased call volume.”
Selectboard Vice Chair Marc Maxwell said, “The Selectboard is asking for five licenses apiece (of both types of licenses) from the state legislature. They probably will not approve five….I understand the police chief…but the citizens – they petitioned us – then we go to the state legislature. That’s how it works. It’s probably going to take two years in the state legislature before we hear anything. But it’s not going to be 10 stores opening up all at once.”
When the discussion was over and the vote called for, Article 25 passed by a margin of 108-68. There was no discussion on the following article, Article 26, which called for five additional beer and wine licenses. It was approved on a vote of 109-52.
In other action at Town Meeting, voters unanimously approved the $21.5 million FY27 town budget proposed by Town Manager Shaun Suhoski and endorsed by the Finance and Warrant Advisory Committee. The total represents an increase of 5.5%, or about $1.1 million, over the FY26 spending package of $20.4 million and includes a number of personnel cuts. The increase in spending is accounted for in large part by an anticipated 12% hike in health insurance premiums and other employee benefit and retirement expenses.