Business licensing issues dominated Tuesday’s Select Board meeting after public participants leveled accusations against the town manager, the Select Board and a Mexican restaurant for what they saw as lack of adherence to town policies.

Marie Laskowsky, an Ashland resident, has been a frequent and vocal participant during public comment periods at Select Board meetings over the past several months. Her remarks have focused on the issuance of common victualer (CV) license renewals to Petros “Peter” Sismanis, the disgraced owner of the former Hiller’s Pizza restaurant, as well as to the town’s license review process. John Laskowsky often has appeared with her and made comments to the board.

In 1998, Sismanis pleaded guilty to indecent assault and battery of a 19-year-old employee who worked at Jelly Doughnuts, another of Sismanis’ former restaurants in Hopkinton. As a result of that case, he was required to register as a sex offender. Yet he continued to receive CV licenses.

Sismanis, a native of Greece, was found guilty in June of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 years of age and two counts of witness intimidation. He was charged with these offenses in January 2023. Sismanis was removed from prison and reportedly was being held in the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island, by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigators.

This case sparked protests in town and led to the Select Board’s discussions on modifying the CV license issuance process to include Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and Sex Offender Registration Information (SORI) checks.

At the Nov. 18 meeting, the board discussed moving the responsibility for CORI checks to the Town Manager’s Office from the Hopkinton Police Department. No vote was taken. Members said they wanted to seek legal counsel. They voiced concerns about overreach on this and other proposed process modifications.

Accusations leveled at town manager

During the public comment period, John Laskowsky told the board that Sismanis had submitted a CV license renewal request on Dec. 13, 2024, after the application deadline. There was no vote on the license renewal at that time, he noted, and “no contingencies, nothing,” despite the pending charges against Sismanis.

He accused Town Manager Elaine Lazarus of allowing Hillers Pizza to operate “for 21 days without a valid business license in this town.”

The license renewal, he said, was placed “swiftly and just stealthily” on the consent agenda for the Jan. 21, 2025, Select Board meeting. He also made other accusations regarding the entertainment and alcohol licenses for Hillers Pizza.

In addition, he said that CORI checks were not done despite being part of the town’s CV policy since 2021. He accused Lazarus of saying that they were not required at subsequent Select Board meetings.

Marie Laskowsky accused Lazarus of removing HPD input from the CV approval process during the recent policy review. Regarding HPD input and SORI checks, she said Lazarus “employed these new processes in year-end 2025 renewals.” She said Lazarus implemented the new policies “unilaterally.”

Said Marie Laskowsky: “Show us the Select Board vote that authorized removing police from licensing oversight or even adding a SORI. You will not find it.”

Marie Laskowsky presented a packet to Select Board chair Joe Clark, noting that it contained the documentation for issues they raised.

The Laskowskys also alleged that Lazarus, who previously served as the assistant town manager, allowed CV license renewals to move forward without CORI checks.

The Independent spoke with both Lazarus and the Laskowskys on Wednesday to clarify the issues raised.

Marie Laskowsky reiterated that Hillers Pizza’s CV renewal at the end of 2024 was submitted late and the board was unable to address it until Jan. 21, 2025. She expressed worry over the fact that Hillers was allowed to remain in operation and the item was tucked into the consent agenda.

“There is no accountability,” Marie Laskowsky claimed. “There is no process.”

Lazarus stated she could not speak to why the license renewal was part of the Jan. 21, 2025, consent agenda, as the overall agenda is the purview of the Select Board chair. She added that the board still has the capacity to pull out an item from consent for discussion on request from a member.

Another issue raised by the Laskowskys was an entertainment license application filed by Hillers in December 2018. Per town policy, licensees must submit a CORI request form with their application. However, the requirement “may be waived at the discretion of the [Select] Board if the licensee holds a common victualer’s or liquor license.”

A CORI for Sismanis never materialized through this process, according to Lazarus. She added that the board “acted in accordance” with a discussion that occurred in executive session in January 2018 with Sismanis regarding complaints filed against him.

Lazarus pushed back on alleged “unilateral” actions taken by the Town Manager’s Office to change the CV process. “Changes that we made to the renewal process this cycle were discussed [at several meetings],” she said, adding that a new CV policy is in development.

Orale license transfer sparks tension

The Select Board, per its policy, does not respond to public comments during meetings to allow time to review information presented. But licensing issues arose later in the meeting that allowed Marie Laskowsky to make further comments and provide more information that affected a local restaurant.

The board held a public hearing on the transfer of an all-alcohol license for Orale Mexican Restaurant at 22-24 Main Street. Members appeared poised to allow the license transfer from Mauricio Bremermann, its current holder, to Victor Roman when Laskowsky asked to speak regarding the process.

She asked the board if there was an inquiry to see “if there are other individuals that have a financial stake in [the applicant] or in the business.”

“We don’t know that to be fact,” interjected member Brian Herr regarding whether the policy required this action. He said it needed to be verified by town counsel.

Marie Laskowsky replied that she presented that information in the packet. She also said Lazarus should be able to “provide that that is a policy.”

Turning toward Bremermann, Marie Laskowsky asked him if anyone else had a financial stake in his business.

“I’m incredibly uncomfortable with where this discussion has gone,” said member Matthew Kizner. He told Marie Laskowsky that she was “essentially acting as a proxy member of the board,” which is not allowed. He also said the accusations made against Lazarus were “beginning to feel personal.”

Clark said the issues she raised would be reviewed by town counsel. He added that the board “did not move forward on” questioning potential financial businesses stakeholders during its CV license policy discussions.

At that point, Marie Laskowsky said that the owner’s name on the CV renewal application submitted in November differed from Bremermann’s name.

Members discussed whether this new information would be relevant to the license transfer. They ultimately voted 4-0-1 to approve the transfer, with Kizner abstaining, citing his desire not to set a precedent.

Orale Mexican Restaurant is changing ownership. PHOTO/JERRY SPAR

6 licenses approved, 24 extensions granted

After discussion, the board voted unanimously to grant license renewals to six businesses and extensions to 24 others that have not yet been inspected by the town. Most of these were CV licenses.

Orale Mexican Restaurant, Alltown Fresh, Carbone’s Restaurant, Country Farm Liquors, BoMain Pizza Bar & Grill and Whitehall Auto Sales completed all of the state and town requirements in a timely manner, Lazarus told the board.

Due to the information the Laskowskys presented, members debated whether they should extend the license renewal period for all renewals until Jan. 21, the day after the next Select Board meeting. This would allow time for feedback from town counsel, Clark said.

“This notion around new information, we really need to put that aside, OK,” said Herr. “We cannot run this town based on new information presented at meetings because somebody’s mad at somebody else.”

— Nick Schofield contributed to this report.