The bylaw that allows beer and wine sales in Vineyard Haven will not be expanded — at least not this year.
The Tisbury selectmen announced on Tuesday that a special town meeting article asking voters to allow wine sales at the Tisbury summer farmers’ market failed to gain the backing of the finance committee, and as a result will not go on a special town meeting warrant this spring.
It was a turnabout for the selectmen, who two weeks ago gave a favorable reception to a spokesman for a Shrewsbury winery who asked about amending the beer and wine bylaw to allow for the sale of wine at the farmers’ market.
After the selectmen’s meeting Tuesday, finance committee chairman Larry Gomez spoke to the Gazette about the reasoning behind the decision to reject the late-filed article.
“There were two reasons,” Mr. Gomez said. “We had one big five-year fight on getting beer and wine in town. At that time the proponents were saying that we weren’t going to have package stores. Well this is the nose of the camel in the tent. And it was just too late to really review. They just proposed it to us a week before our meeting.”
In other news, selectman Geoghan Coogan announced he would not seek reelection this year. Mr. Coogan cited personal reasons for the decision and praised his board.
“We’ve been able to work really well together . . . the town’s been doing well and is strong,” he said. “It’s something I’ll come back to I’m sure.”
Jon Snyder, a member of the finance committee, and former selectman Tom Pachico will both run for Mr. Coogan’s seat in the spring annual town election.
Comments
Comment policy »