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Holyoke committee approves secondhand license for Reverend Bassett’s Saturday thrift shop
Summary
The Finance Committee approved forwarding a secondhand (thrift) license application from Reverend Randall Bassett for a Saturday-only operation at the First Lutheran Church; full City Council will finalize the license at its Oct. 7 meeting.
The Holyoke City Council Finance Committee voted to approve forwarding a secondhand (thrift) license application from Reverend Randall Bassett for a Saturday-only operation at the First Lutheran Church, with hours authorized at 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. The committee’s approval will go to the full City Council on Oct. 7 for final issuance of the license.
The request was introduced during the committee’s meeting Sept. 29. Reverend Randall Bassett said the church’s school had closed “after 42 years” and the congregation planned to open a thrift shop to raise funds for building repairs and to serve neighborhood needs. Bassett said the shop would take only donated goods from congregation members and family, and initially operate Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with an eye to expanding hours if demand indicated a need.
Councilors asked about parking and practical operations. A committee member noted the church’s large parking lot and asked whether the clerk’s office would mail the license or require in-person pickup; committee staff advised the license would be prepared after the council’s Oct. 7 meeting and the petitioner should coordinate with the clerk’s office (Brenna) on pickup.
The committee added an hours window of 9 a.m.–6 p.m. on Saturdays to give the operator flexibility while limiting regular operations to a single day; committee members said Bassett must return to the committee if he seeks additional weekly hours. A committee member moved approval with the hours condition; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
The committee recorded no opposition during the discussion. The clerk’s office will prepare the license packet for the full council agenda on Oct. 7; Bassett was advised not to open prior to council approval because the permit will not be issued until after that meeting.
Votes at this meeting: Finance Committee motion to approve forwarding the secondhand license application with hours set at 9 a.m.–6 p.m. on Saturdays — approved by voice vote (committee unanimous).
