Adams Selectmen Ban Late-Night Visitors Center Loitering
 The board voted to post no-trespassing signs at the Visitors Center to deter loitering youth. |
ADAMS, Mass. — The Selectmen on Wednesday night approved no-trespassing signage for the Visitors Center to prevent people from congregating near the public building from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Police Chief Richard Tarsa brought the concern to the board last week because youngsters have been loitering near the back end of the building and vandalizing the area. The signs would give the police more power and allow them to take further action such as arrests.
The board approved the signage with a 4-1, with Selectman Joseph Nowak the single no vote because he did not feel the minor vandalism was enough to warrant the signage.
"I feel that nothing has gone on there to the extent that I believe was told to me and I rather see our police force be communicative rather than combative," Nowak said. "I think if you are harsh to these kids they are just going to take their vengeance out and perhaps go somewhere else."
He said if there was ongoing vandalism such as graffiti he would vote differently.
"The kids in this community at this age, there is just no place for them to hang out and if there was ongoing vandalism with graffiti on the building and other things I consider vandalism, I certainly would vote for it but I don't think it is really needed," he said.
Selectman Arthur "Skip" Harrington agreed with Nowak that there was no serious vandalism, but felt kids should not be hanging out there after hours.
"Kids do hang out there, and I don't think they need that location to hang out after 9," Harrington said. "If it helps the chief and the police force out by putting signs out for a final method of enforcement then we should."
Nowak said he felt the ability for the police to arrest the kids for loitering is not the best enforcement method.
"That is being combative, and I don't like policing like that," he said. "In the old days we had cops on a beat and people got to know them and they talked to them. I am not saying our police don't do that but I don't see it."
Selectman Jeffrey Snoonian said he did not feel the board should even vote on the issue because it is by request of the police chief who knows best.
Duval said the town will have to revisit signage for the Adams Station when it is complete.
Town Administrator Tony Mazzucco said the town is continuing to collect common victualer licenses from establishments in town. He said the license often gets put aside after establishments receive all of their other licenses and inspections.
"We do have businesses that have been open in town for decades who haven't had a common vic license," Mazzucco said. "In just in the last year, many of them have gotten them as we brought them up to speed."
Mazzucco said the town has nothing in its bylaws about penalties for businesses that fail to get licenses but Massachusetts General Law points to fines.
He said the town charges $10 for the license, however he anticipates changing this when the town reviews its fees in the fall.
"For the amount of time and energy we are spending on retrieving the licenses with the current fee it is not worth it," he said. "We have to chase peoples down, we are spending far more than we are collecting on them, and it is taking a lot of staff and town counsel time."
Harrington asked if it was possible to just stop issuing the licenses.
Mazzucco said he was not sure but wants to get a list of all the establishments in town that do not have one and possibly combine it with another license.
Mazzucco said the Department of Public Works has begun crosswalk painting and should be finished before school starts. He said they are also working on repairing the stairs at C.T. Plunkett Elementary.
He added that the town should receive its new police cruiser soon and the new DPW truck should arrive in the late fall. Both these items were approved at town meeting.
Tags: licenses, signage, vandalism, visitors center,
