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Township to Go Out to Bid
for Retail Liquor License
by Beth S. Biermann
EAST GREENWICH – The Township Committee authorized
advertisement for the sale of a retail distribution liquor license at their
regular meeting on Nov. 10. Bids will be accepted on Jan. 4 and the minimum
bid has been set at $250,000.
Mayor Fred Grant stated that he believed the license is
priced competitively. He added that the township needs to be careful not to
price it so high that no bids are received, to avoid the expense of going out
to bid a second time.
It is expected that the license will be used for a retail
liquor store, located in the redevelopment zone in proximity of Rte. 295.
The Committee also designated several properties on Kings
Highway as “an area in need of redevelopment.” The properties include an old
lumber yard, a used car lot, an old boat shop and a building no longer in use.
All property owners were invited to a public session at a planning board
meeting at which the issue was discussed.
According to Committeeman James Watson, this was done
specifically to help market the properties. Designating them as part of a
redevelopment area will make them eligible for local tax abatements which will
attract developers.
To wrap up some unfinished business, the Committee
adopted an amendment to a yard sale ordinance that removed the requirement to
include a resident’s name and phone number on advertising signs and in the
newspaper. In addition, the allowed start time was changed from 8 a.m. to 7
a.m.
Language was also included to explain that the two yard
sale per year limit would not include a scheduled yard sale that was rained
out.
These changes were made in response to public comments
made after the original yard sale ordinance was adopted on Aug. 11. An
amendment introduced on Oct.13 also drew more comments that were taken into
consideration in the final amendment adopted on Nov. 10.
In personnel related business, Patrolman Matthew Brenner
was promoted to Sergeant and was sworn in by Grant. Grant declared it was “an
honor to be able to swear in Sgt. Brenner. I’ve watched him come in as a
patrolman and take on the K-9 unit. Congratulations.”
A resolution was also passed honoring Nicholas Monahan
for his years of service as tax assessor. Monahan was honored for his
“untiring and selfless service to the community” in employment from Oct. 1,
1986 until April 1, 2007.
According to the resolution, his service had a “direct
positive and long lasting impact on the quality of life of East Greenwich
residents and the efficient and effective operations of local government.”
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