Committee backs adding an alternate to Salem licensing board to ease quorum issues

The Salem City Council Committee on Licenses and Legal Affairs voted Thursday to send a positive recommendation to the full council for a home‑rule petition that would allow the local licensing board to include an alternate member who could vote when a regular member is absent or recused.

City Solicitor Beth Denard told the committee the licensing board is statutorily composed of three members and that illness or conflicts have made it difficult to obtain a quorum. Denard said many Massachusetts municipalities have pursued home‑rule petitions to add an alternate and that the alternate model has shown the most success in practice. “The statute is ancient,” Denard said, adding that an alternate would attend meetings and vote only when one of the regular members is absent or conflicted.

Councilors discussed whether the board should instead be expanded to increase the number of regular members. Councilor Watson said she would support adding additional regular members as well as an alternate because three members “is still too small” for the board’s workload; Denard replied that other municipalities and municipal counsel commonly recommend an alternate as the first step because recruiting committed members for licensing boards can be difficult.

Councilor Mozzolo moved to refer the petition to the full council with a positive recommendation; the motion was seconded by Councilor Cohen and carried on the committee floor.

What happens next: The committee referred the home‑rule petition to the full council with a positive recommendation; if the council approves, the city would submit the petition to the state legislature for enactment.