Adams Selectmen Discuss Issues with Mount Royal Inn
ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Selectmen once again had to table innkeeper license renewal for Mount Royal Inn, with just over a week left until the end-of-year renewal deadline.
The board met with Syed Bokhari, the owner of the inn, last Wednesday to discuss concerns raised at a previous meeting regarding multiple potential code violations, including guests staying too long, inadequate bookkeeping and issues with the fire system. Board Vice Chair Christine Hoyt said, at the time of the meeting, Mount Royal Inn had still not submitted any renewal paperwork.
"We don't have a single piece of paper from you indicating that you'd like to renew your innkeeper license," she said.
Bokhari, who said he never received any emails or letters about the paperwork, was given extra copies to fill out at the meeting. He said the inn can provide an online list of tenants if that information is needed.
The inn has an agreement with the Louison House, which provides transitional housing for the homeless, to provide temporary housing. Bokhari denied that people stay longer than 30 days, which would violate the license.
"As per my understanding with them, nobody stays more than 30 days," he said. "Take that person out on the 24th, 23rd, 25th day, put them in another motel for five days, six days, whatever, because we also understand the law of residency."
Fire Chief John Pansecchi said code and other issues with the fire system have been resolved, but only after he notified the inn of problems. Bokhari said the incidents indicate the fire system is working.
"This means the system is up and running. If the system is not up and running, it will not trigger the alarm system," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm trying to be on the top of each and everything whatever I can."
Pansecchi said he still has concerns about the occupancy and people staying longer than 30 days.
"Whenever I've been down there, it seems to see faces in all the same rooms. I have not seen a change since the beginning of the year," he said. "Two faces here or there change, but a lot of the same people are there."
Building Commissioner Gerald Garner said staff at the inn told him to contact the Louison House when he asked for a list of those staying there. He said he was unable to get the proper information needed to complete his inspection before the meeting.
"I also have someone that's been living there for quite some time and actually applied for permanent residency," he said. Garner said, when he asked what was the longest someone had stayed at the inn, a staff member told him six months.
Nancy Jolin, who attended the meeting representing Louison House, explained they check the rooms daily to ensure there is no code or other violations. She also assured the board they make sure no one stays longer than 30 days.
"Every time we move somebody out, or we do a room change, which we have to do every 28 days so that it's not considered a residency. And we do that faithfully," she said. "And I can tell you I've done it twice in the last couple of weeks. But for every person that we find housing for there's six more at our door, and it's heartwrenching."
Jolin said they have a list of the people residing in the building, which the town can access at any time. Selectman Richard Blanchard, as well as several other board members, said throughout the meeting that the inn staff needs to have this information available at all times.
"This issue is with Mount Royal. Mount Royal has to follow laws, one being a list. Nobody should have to run to somebody else to get a list," he said. "It should be there. It's a safety thing. You talked about the homeless, don't they deserve a safe place to reside? ... If they don't know, or can't provide, emergency services with a list of who is their, how is that necessarily safe?"
The board intends to have another meeting this week to settle any other license-related issues but none had been scheduled by Monday.
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