Carroll County Board of License Commissioners Meeting - June 10, 2026
Carroll County Board of License Commissioners Meeting - June 10, 2026
The Board of License Commissioners met on June 10, 2026, starting at 10:00 a.m. to hear several cases, including first-time event license requests, violation hearings for underage alcohol sales, and two transfer applications. The meeting also discussed enforcement of food/alcohol sales ratios and a proposed written communication policy.
Consent Calendar
- Approved one-day liquor licenses for Carroll County Recreation & Parks' adult field day (September 10, 2026, at Charles Carroll Community Center), Glinden Area Players' line dancing fundraiser (at St. Paul's United Church of Christ), Ales and Tails event (October 2, 2026, at South Carroll Dog Park), Carroll County Farm Museum car fest (July 11, 2026), and KIC Cares' cornhole tournament (August 15, 2026, at Watkins Park, pending narrative submission).
- Approved expansion of existing beer gardens for Manchester Fire Department's carnival (June 29–July 4, 2026) and Reese Fire Department's carnival, both monitored by security.
- Granted permission for City Park Gaming to participate in the Beer and Barbecue Stroll on June 20 and October 10, 2026, with a note about a previous expansion without board approval.
- Approved American Legion Post 200's request to allow alcohol carry from the post to its pavilion for members and guests.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Case #6618 (Westminster Liquors transfer): Several members of the public, including employees and customers of New Carriage House, testified in opposition. They stated that 90% of the current clientele are walkers, many homeless, and that moving the license 0.7 miles would disproportionately affect them. They argued the current location is a neighborhood staple and feared increased competition with a liquor store across the street. Supporters, including character witnesses like Mark DePoy (City of Westminster) and former Secretary of State Carl Aumann, testified that the new shopping center location would better serve the public and provide more inventory.
- Case #6617 (Fresh Elements Kitchen & Bar transfer): No public testimony was given beyond the applicant and witnesses.
Discussion Items
- Alcohol/Food Ratio Rule: The board discussed changing the 60% food/40% alcohol ratio for Class B licenses, particularly for entertainment establishments (e.g., bowling alleys, golf simulators). Commissioner Barnhart suggested designating such venues with a different ratio (e.g., 60% alcohol) and possibly creating a new license category. Inspector Benfer mentioned Baltimore County's "sports activity venue license." The board agreed to consider a rule change effective May 1, 2027, after a public hearing.
- Case #6614 (Ernie's Place): Continued violation hearing for Rule 20 (food/alcohol ratio). Licensee Ricky Lee Jones presented revised 2025 sales figures showing total gross of $361,224, with alcohol sales at $214,107 (59.3%) and food at $147,117 (40.7%). However, quarterly breakdowns showed quarter 3 at 68% alcohol, quarter 4 at 63–67%, and quarter 1 2026 at 63%. The board noted discrepancies with previously filed numbers (2023–2025 showed 57–59% alcohol) and questioned the inclusion of retail beer in food sales. Manager George Gibbs testified that since reopening after a month-long closure, new food specials and later kitchen hours (now until midnight) are improving the ratio.
Key Outcomes
- Case #6616 (Oakland Mills Liquors): Found culpable for selling alcohol to a minor (first violation in 20 years). Fined $100 (instead of standard $300) due to impeccable record. Licensee paid immediately.
- Case #6615 (New York Pizzeria): Found culpable for second underage sale in three months. Fined $1,000. The board warned that a third violation could result in a $2,000 fine or license suspension/revocation.
- Case #6618 (Westminster Liquors): Approved transfer of Class A license from Brian Brooke (New Carriage House) to Tom Welliver (Westminster Liquors, LLC) at 7 Westminster Shopping Center. New trade name: Westminster Liquors. All necessary permits must be obtained.
- Case #6617 (Fresh Elements Kitchen & Bar): Approved transfer of Class B license from Tulsi Giri (Spargos) to Bishnu Kumari Thapa Chhetri (Manchester Bistro, LLC) at 3165 Main Street, Manchester. Trade name amended to Fresh Elements Kitchen & Bar. Restrictions imposed: downstairs bar hours limited to 12:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. (Monday–Saturday) and 12:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. (Sunday) for a four-month probationary period starting from license delivery. No outdoor patio use. Licensee must return after four months for review.
- Case #6614 (Ernie's Place): Found not culpable for Rule 20 violation based on revised 2025 figures (40.7% food, 59.3% alcohol). However, the board required quarterly reports of food and alcohol sales for one year.
- The next seminar is scheduled for Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at the Carroll County Public Safety Training Center to discuss a written communications policy.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We will call this meeting of the board of Carroll County Licensed Commissioner or begin our meeting as per usual with pledge of the flag and a verb observe a moment of silence. That you all received. Are there any corrections or additions? No. September tenth. Do I do my address and everything? Please state your name and address for the record. Spell your last name, please. Okay. Uh my name is Edwards. Last name EDWARDS. Um, and the address would be three hundred South Center Street, Westminster, Maryland, two five seven. Um, so we recreation parks is uh hoping to hold uh adult field day in September, so this is a new event for us. Um the premise of the event would be just teams of adults. We're gonna require registration, so we'll have a list of the names beforehand who's attending the event, um, and their birth dates, so the teams will basically rotate different um sport sporting events and kind of compete, and then we'll have the um alcohol area as well for sales. Um so we will have the alcohol area in the tennis court of the Charles Carroll Community Center Park. So it'll be fully fenced. ID tent right on the outside of the entrance. So when they arrive, they'll check in, they'll check their ID, and then they'll get a wristband where they can purchase alcohol. So inside the court, there'll be the alcohol sales tent, uh, which staff will be selling the alcohol to everyone registered. Um there'll be at least three of our staff who are alcohol awareness trained running the ID tech ID check tent as well as the alcohol sales tent. Um so it'll all be staff ran. Where is this gonna be? Um it's at the Charles Carroll Community Center, but it'll be held outside. So there's a park there as well. Is there a packet with this request? Was that a packet with this request? Yes. Um that hasn't you're having a field day. What kind of field day? When I went to high school, elementary school, they had field days on the ball. Yep, yeah. So the same premise just for adults. So um we're gonna do cornhole, pickleball, kickball. I'm sorry. Uh probably wiffle ball as well, tug of war. So they'll be competing, but then there'll be the separate area where they can consume adult beverages. Two other questions. Yes. Is there a cost to this to the participants? Yeah, so the teams um will register um uh beforehand, and there'll be a cost of ten dollars per team. Second question. Why do you want to sell alcohol? Um, mostly to try to get the adults out there because it'll be a Thursday night. Um we want to just kind of have that clientele to come out um instead of going to bars to support our event. What kind of alcohol do you want to sell? Um just beer and wine is what we're gonna do from the cocktails. No cocktail. No draft beer, bottle beer, canned beer.
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