The Select Board at its meeting Monday held its annual review of common victualer (CV) and other license holders, granting renewals for seven businesses and extensions for the others until Jan. 13.

Town Manager Elaine Lazarus named the seven businesses that submitted complete applications and had been “fully inspected” by the town for various licenses. All business managers and owners underwent Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI) checks as part of the process, she noted.

Restaurants with complete CV applications included The Spoonery, located at 1 Lumber Street, and the Dunkin’ locations at 76 South Street (referred to as South Street Donuts) and 78 West Main Street.

In addition to the restaurants, three other businesses received renewed licenses in a 4-0 vote along with the above locations. Marty’s Fine Wines at 61 Main Street obtained a package store all alcohol license renewal. The MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) was granted renewal of its municipal street license. The Class 2 license for WSAB Enterprise, a wholesale auto sales business at 32 East Main Street, also was renewed.

The Spoon, located at 1 Lumber Street, also had completed the application process for a wine and malt CV renewal before the meeting. Because it requested a change in the hours during which it could serve alcohol, it was approved separately in a 3-0 vote. Chair Joe Clark recused himself due to the involvement of a family member in the business. Vice chair Shahidul Mannan was absent.

Owner Samantha Prescott explained that she wanted to begin serving alcohol at 8 a.m. because The Spoon is open only from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. seven days a week. Lazarus noted that state law prohibits the town from issuing alcohol licenses for service before 10 a.m. on Sundays.

Hop-Yo must apply by Dec. 31 for extension

In a separate 4-0 vote, the board granted extensions to all the other applicants. These businesses are either waiting for town inspections to take place or need to make repairs in order to pass inspection.

Clark noted that there has been “a lot of conversation around the license process” recently.

The board toughened its license requirements to include SORI checks in light of the recent case involving Petros “Peter” Sismanis. The owner of the former Hiller’s Pizza restaurant was found guilty in June of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 years of age and two counts of witness intimidation. In 1998, Sismanis pleaded guilty to indecent assault and battery of a 19-year-old employee who worked at Jelly Doughnuts, one of his former restaurants in Hopkinton. As a result of that case, he was required to register as a sex offender. Hiller’s CV license was renewed for years despite Sismanis’ previous conviction.

Hop-Yo, located at 36 Main Street, was singled out because it has not yet applied for a CV license renewal. The frozen yogurt establishment was granted an extension until Jan. 13, provided that it applies by the end of the year.

Member Matthew Kizner explained initially that he did not feel comfortable granting an extension to Hop-Yo because it was “not engaged in the process.” He reconsidered when Lazarus said it would lose its license at the end of the year without an extension. The Select Board does not meet again until Jan. 6.

Veterans Celebration Committee to cosponsor July 4 parades

The board voted 4-0 to approve amending the charge of the Veterans Celebration Committee in order to allow it to cosponsor the Independence Day parade.

At the last meeting, the chairs of the Hopkinton Democratic Town Committee and the Republican Town Committee brought forward the idea of having a July 4 parade with a positive town focus. This concept, if approved, would replace the Horribles parade, which had political and satirical floats.

Lazarus said she researched the committee and discovered there wasn’t an actual charge in place. She noted that documents showed it was founded in 2002 to commemorate veterans. It is an eight-member committee with staggered three-year terms. Its role is to plan and organize annual Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies and related events as well as a veterans appreciation dinner.

Added Lazarus: “They’d like to add sponsorship of an Independence Day parade as well.”

Lazarus also explained that because this is a town committee, it would be allowed to use the town’s insurance for the parade and funds for a police detail.

Kizner called this decision a “best-case scenario” because the parade now will “clearly be a town event.”

Member Brian Herr added that there would be no need for a debate about town insurance for this parade moving forward.

ATM warrant to open Jan. 2

The board voted to open the 2026 Annual Town Meeting warrant on Jan. 2. It will close on Feb. 1.

Lazarus explained that residents can submit articles during that time frame. They can be withdrawn before they come up at the ATM on May 2, if necessary. Clark added that town departments and committees likewise will be submitting articles.

The Select Board might submit articles on e-bike regulations, civil fingerprinting for CV license applicants and requiring CV licenses for ice cream trucks, he said. It will consider an article calling for the approval of a tax increment financing (TIF) agreement between the town and Open Play Pickleball & Padel Club at 124 East Main Street, provided that the Select Board approves the TIF.

Board approves town hires

The board appointed Christopher Nelson as the town’s assistant Water-Sewer Department manager and Samuel “Jack” Hammond as a full-time public safety dispatcher in a 4-0 vote as part of the consent agenda. …

In a 4-0 vote, the board appointed Charles “Chuck” Wade to the Sustainable Green Committee to a term expiring on June 30, 2028.