As per the Town’s policy, the Rochester Board of Selectmen on February 19 ordered Daniel Costa, owner of Lloyd’s Market, to close off the section of the store where alcohol products are displayed for one business day after a store employee was found in violation of the alcohol regulations.
Early in January, Lloyd’s Market was cited for selling alcohol to a customer under the age of 21 during the Police Department’s undercover sting operation visiting the few establishments in Rochester authorized to sell alcohol.
Rochester Police Chief Robert Small told the selectmen on February 19 that a first offense should result in a one-day loss of a liquor license to be carried out on a weekday between Monday through Thursday. This would be the case for Lloyd’s as a first-time offender since the business changed hands to Costa.
Costa apologized to the board, saying, “I take full responsibility. I take it very seriously.”
Costa said one of the first things he did as the new owner of Lloyd’s was to implement strict tobacco and alcohol policies and drill them into each of his employees. The register, he said, requires the employee to verify the age of every customer purchasing alcohol before the sale can be completed.
“The person that’s in question that sold to a minor, I had just hired her,” said Costa. He added that he did have her signature on the policy that Costa had introduced to her upon hiring her. Despite that, though, the employee violated the policy.
“She was terminated that day,” Costa said. “That’s how serious I take it. It should never happen. It just can’t happen is how I explain it to my employees.”
He said he is “constantly reminding” his staff, “Make sure you’re carding.
“In this case, she just didn’t,” Costa said. “No excuse. … Whatever the [board’s] decision is, I’ll stand by it, that’s fine.”
Selectman Brad Morse suggested, instead of allowing Costa to choose a day that he would prefer to close off alcohol sales, that the board pick a date for Costa, a date that must be within 30 days of the public hearing. Morse selected Tuesday, March 5, which Costa approved.
“Sorry,” Selectman Paul Ciaburri said to Costa. “You know, we made these policies and if we don’t enforce them – sorry it happened and all that, but we kind of – now we’ve got it written that we have to enforce them.”
As the public hearing was closed and Costa left, Morse said to Costa, “Be diligent,” giving Costa a thumbs-up.
The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for March 4 at 6:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.
Rochester Board of Selectmen
By Jean Perry