Senator proposes limits, MOUs and fees to allow some six‑day restaurant licenses to convert to seven‑day status
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Summary
A sponsor described a four‑part amendment to HB998 allowing certain class D (6‑day) licenses to convert to seven‑day licenses if they sign an MOU with the neighborhood association, pay a $15,000 one‑time fee plus annual renewals, keep 100 seats or fewer and maintain at least 51% daily food receipts; the delegation agreed to pull the bill from consent and vote the same day.
During the March 30 Baltimore City Senate delegation meeting, the senator representing the 46th District outlined a four‑component amendment to House Bill 998 intended to regulate conversions of class D (six‑day) restaurant liquor licenses to seven‑day licenses.
The sponsor said the amendment would allow a six‑day license holder to "plus up" to a seven‑day license only if the applicant: has a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the relevant neighborhood association; pays a one‑time fee of $15,000 and then the applicable annual renewal fees; operates a facility with 100 seats or fewer; and records daily food receipts of at least 51% to ensure the venue remains primarily a restaurant. The sponsor also said converted licenses would be barred from being transferred to a new location and requested the Baltimore Liquor Board Commission (BLLC) adopt a standardized MOU template to ease enforcement.
"15,000 is the is the, the one‑time fee plus annual renewals, and that is an estimate of the value differential between a 6 day and 7 day," the sponsor said. The sponsor added proposals for tiered violations so repeat offenders would face heightened penalties rather than a nominal fine, and mentioned three narrow provisions addressing microbrewery operations and certain dormant license transfers.
Senator Hayes asked whether the $15,000 was a one‑time application fee and what the renewal fee would be; the sponsor confirmed the $15,000 was a one‑time fee and that the renewal would be "whatever the annual renewal fee is." Committee members discussed the MOU enforcement history and agreed that a standardized template could reduce burdens on neighborhood associations and help the Liquor Board act on violations.
Because the amendment was added after the bill had been placed on the consent calendar, members motioned and voted to pull HB998 from consent and to hear and vote on it the same day; members answered "Aye." The transcript shows voice votes and discussion but does not include a detailed roll‑call tally or the final textual amendment.
