Fruitlands Museum will pay a $5,000 fee, the maximum allowed by the state, this year for its recently approved liquor license, the selectmen decided last week. The amount is for this year only and may be reconsidered in the future.
At the selectmen’s March 10 meeting, Town Administrator Tim Bragan proposed that the fee be set at the maximum amount allowed, citing the costs the town has incurred, including $3,000 in attorney’s fees, during the lengthy hearing process for Fruitlands’ first liquor license.
Selectman Ron Ricci moved that the fee be set at $5,000. Selectman Tim Clark pointed out that this fee would be higher than those charged in any neighboring town, where such fees range from $800 to $3,000. Selectman Peter Warren then amended the motion to specify that the $5,000 fee be for calendar year 2009 only. He suggested that the selectmen might set a lower fee in the future, when the town has recouped some of its costs.
Asked whether all potential applicants might expect to pay an equal amount, Chairman Leo Blair said he did not expect to charge the same fee to everyone. He noted that he would take into account whether an applicant paid property taxes or sales taxes when setting the fee. As an educational institution, Fruitlands is exempt from some taxes.
The motion setting the fee at $5,000 passed 3–1, with selectmen Blair, Ricci, and Warren voting yes and Tim Clark voting no. (Selectwoman Lucy Wallace was not present.)
Asked to comment on the decision, Fruitlands CEO Tim Firment said, “We were a little disappointed that the town was looking to make money even from nonprofits, at a time when all businesses are suffering.” He noted that Fruitlands, too, has incurred attorney’s fees in its five-year quest for a license, but the restaurant cannot expect to recoup those “from the price of a beer.”
Fruitlands corporator and former trustee Pam Durrant said, “This seems to be an excessive fee, not in line with charges in other small towns.”
