recording in progress. Kevin >> Rick Jones, what's going on? >> Yeah, >> let me uh >> go get some feedback. >> Yeah. Haley, can can you eliminate Rick Lopez? I'm on twice.
>> It's giving feedback. >> There we go. >> Am I on mute? >> I can't hear anybody. >> You're do you want to maybe leave the meeting and try and come back in and see if that helps? Damn. Nope. I'm gone. I'm back.
There you are. >> Oh, Kevin, you have a Christmas tree. >> I did. I'm I'm being festive tonight. I've sat myself in a different location than normal. >> Nice. Can you hear me? >> Yes. >> Yeah.
>> Okay. I I can't hear you. >> Hey, turn up your speaker. >> Turn the speaker. anything. >> That's exactly what it is. His speaker is down. Where's the chat? >> I can go in there and see if he's what I
can do to help. >> All right. >> I think I'm going to um log off my computer and log back in. Like it's going to take about 1 minute or so. I'll be right back. Carrie, are you muted? >> I am not. Can you >> Okay.
>> A day. >> Okay. Too late. >> I'll give him another try and then if it doesn't work, I'll go in there and see if I can. >> He's got his speaker down on the computer >> probably. Done it many times. Funny, we're not supposed to have any
meetings in December and this is our second one. >> I have to say, >> you know, I'd meet once a week if we could have 15-inute meetings. Like that'd be that's that's not a bad thing. >> Yeah, that's true. >> Quick in and out, you know. >> Yeah.
>> Something to that. Although that you know I got PTSD from those days as well too from every everyday meetings. >> Oh yes. Oh that remind me. >> You used to do everyday meetings. >> So when co first happened you know
obviously the world changed in a way that none of us knew how it was going to change and so we wanted to make sure that we posted every day to be ready to adapt to those changes as they came. >> Oh okay. >> Yeah. So, we met, I think we met for 17 straight days before we started to go to
three days a week. Um, down to once a week, down to every other week, and here we are finally back >> once a month. That's pretty crazy. >> Yeah, it was um I've only been on the board for like five or six years, but I have the equivalent of like 150
meetings. >> Yeah. Rick and I didn't join until things had settled down to the double rule. Was it monthly when we joined, Rick? >> I think it was by monthly when you guys joined, wasn't it? >> I think it was by monthly. Yeah, that's >> I wouldn't mind bon.
>> Yeah. If we can compress, but if we're doing two-hour meetings by monthly, then that's becomes, you know, that's not the object, but it's not a bad idea from a policy standpoint, like you said about getting for perfect example tonight, right, of trying to help a business get things done in a timely manner.
>> Um, you know, doing it twice a month for shorter periods for each meeting's not a bad thing. >> You heard him. He wants us to have more meetings. No, I I I I'm teasing. You know, I'm teasing. I I I mean, I agree. I mean, I
think probably, you know, we could we're flexible enough to be able to do this at cost if if our meeting schedule doesn't meet the needs of of business, if or if there were some sort of, you know, emergency order that needed to be addressed. Um, but if folks weren't flexible, it was probably makes sense to
have like just a standing time set aside an hour that was a just in case meeting um that you could do or not through. >> And I think now that we're a five person voting board, you're more apt to be able to handle that kind of load because not
you're not going to get all five members to both of those meetings every month. But that's okay as long as you have the majority, right? >> When did you change the five? I hear you now. >> Yay. Y >> we can make noise.
>> Okay, I'm gonna call the meeting to order. 604. Um so we'll do a quick uh roll call. Um Carrie, >> yes. >> Kevin >> here. Yes. >> Yes. Here. Joan here.
>> And Rick Lopez. Um, so the purpose of this meeting, it's a sort of special meeting uh to review the matter of the transfer of the tobacco sales permit at 13:30 Main Street. And um I'm going to turn it over
to AD to um sort of introduce the topic, introduce our guests, and then um we'll hear them speak and we can then have a discussion regarding that. So day >> thank you Dr. Lopez. So this is a
slightly uh different scenario from the previous um establishment. Um 130 uh main LLC already purchased um the mobile gas station yesterday. So
the purchase has been completed. Um the reason they requested this meeting is because they would have to wait till um January to have the permit transferred and that would cause them uh you know a severe
financial burden and um they would like to avoid that. So um I believe the representatives from 130 1330 Main LLC I believe they are here and if you if you could please uh state
your name and you know >> Oh hello my name is Oh sorry hello my name is Ranken Patel >> and my name is Ankit Kumar Patel. >> Thanks for coming. Yes, thank you for coming and um taking
the time and uh so maybe um you can just describe to the board um you know what you're looking for in terms of the transfer. Um, I would also be interested
in knowing whether you own other uh similar, you know, gas station convenience stores um in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Um, either one of you can speak up.
>> Uh, yes. So, we do own other uh locations in Massachusetts. Uh, this is our first in Reading, Massachusetts. Uh we met with Moren yesterday and we are well aware of the regulations that
reading has especially with the uh no nicotine generation. Um so we're aware of those and u as of yesterday we have all of our necessary permits um which includes uh lottery and
dumpster permits and all that stuff. Uh the only remainder one is the tobacco permit. Um so as of now we we are running the gas station but we have closed off all nicotine products and covered them up so that no one can
purchase uh yesterday or today. >> Great. And uh you have a department of revenue permit um like as well. >> Yes, >> you do. Okay, great. Um, and so I'm glad
to hear that um, Meen has has paid a visit and talked to you about the nicotine free generation, the regulation that we uh, adopted in June of last year. Um, which prohibits the sale of tobacco and nicotine products to
individuals born after January 1st, 2004. Uh, I think we're one of 18 or 20 communities in Massachusetts that have that. So, um that'll be important in terms of both your signage and as well
as the processes you have in place, which is probably my next question. Um in terms of uh ensuring that um sales of tobacco nicotine products go to people who are eligible, do you have a
automated system? Do you plan to just ask for IDs? How how is that going to work? Uh so the POSOS system which uh when we purchased the location it was from Global LP and all of their sites have a POS system where we have to scan
to verify the IDs. So that has already been in place because the previous owner um IAS uh he was also following the same guidelines that are in reading uh for the past few years. Uh and the signage uh IAS also already had signage uh even
before Marine came in yesterday and then uh educated us on all the and and my employees as well on all the procedures uh for reading and the uh information about the tobaccof free generation. So, as of uh now, all my employees at the
location, as well as me, Andy, and some of our other partners are educated on uh the 2004 uh uh January 1st cutoff date. And uh for the IDs, we do uh scan the IDs in order to age verify, but now we
will uh we also check them like to see if they're obviously original or not. But now since we are aware of the 2004 cutoff date uh we have made sure that all our employees know that there's a cuto off date even before scanning them. >> Great. Great. Because you know I would I
would think a lot of commercial scanners or that focus in this area are focused on age 21 as opposed to a birth date. So it's important to make sure that the software you're using is focused on the birth date and not just the age.
>> Yes. Yes. Uh uh exactly. And we also have uh the education on our countertop um which was obviously previously there from IAS where it uh clearly states that in the town of Reading that the cutoff date was 2004 uh January 1st. So that's
always been at the site. >> Great. Any uh comments, questions, anything from the board members at all? Well, I just wanted to confirm that Moren um did visit yesterday and
educated them on the, you know, tobaccof free generation uh law and um they also did their change of ownership at the town clerk's office. So, everything they need, all the requirements are met. Um I recommend the board uh approve their
request for transfer. >> Okay. >> Okay. Right. So, not not seeing any other comments or questions, I'll make a motion uh to approve the request for a
transfer of the tobacco permit um to the uh new ownership uh under the uh the Patels. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> Carrie second. Okay. Uh roll call. Uh Carrie,
>> real quickly, can we make sure that we just make that effective today? >> Uh, sure. >> Tomorrow, either one, just to make sure we're clear. >> So, uh, good point. Um, I'm right at my desk right now. Once the meeting is over and they have their approval, all I have
to do is click a button and they'll have their permit. >> So, we can make it effective immediately. >> Effective, right? >> Okay. So, I'll make a friendly amendment to the motion to make it effective immediately. >> I agree with that. Carrie, uh,
>> yes. Um, Kevin, >> yes. >> Joan, >> yes. >> And Rick, yes. So, the motion is approved with Kevin's amendment, and I think we're all set. >> We have to adjourn. So,
>> I'm not leaving. I'm going to stay right here. >> Me, too. We're not going to let you let Haley, we're not going to let that go. >> I am not going to end it. I promise. >> Well, welcome to Reading. Wish you all the best of luck. >> Oh, thank you very much. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you.
>> Good luck. >> Thanks. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Uh motion to adjourn. >> Seconded. >> Kevin second. Uh roll call carry.
>> Kevin. Yes, >> Joan. >> Yes. >> And Rick. Yes. >> We won't I won't see you hopefully until the new year. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Bye everybody. >> Good night. >> Good night. >> Bye.
>> Bye.