Council approves Pallet function-room permit, denies Jolly Vapors retail permit and rejects mayor's administrative code

At its July 7 meeting the Lynn City Council took three headline actions: it approved a special permit for the Pallet function room at 16A City Hall Square to serve alcoholic beverages at private, event-based functions; it denied a special permit application from Jolly Vapors to operate a tobacco/vape retail business near schools; and, following extended public debate, the council voted to disapprove the mayor's proposed administrative code and requested a revised submission.

On the Pallet request, attorney Michael Cole told the council the function room operates as a private event space and that profits are returned to Centerboard Inc., the nonprofit building owner. He said prior events used licensed caterers or one-day liquor licenses, and the annual permit would remove administrative burdens while preserving event controls. Councilors who spoke in favor noted the space's community role and recommended approval; the motion to grant the special permit passed by roll call.

On the Jolly Vapors petition for a retail tobacco/vape location, Councilor Matul summarized multiple documented violations at the applicant's prior locations: an April 2021 compliance check where a minor was sold a flavored nicotine product, an $8,000 fine and a 37-day suspension; a 2025 inspection finding large quantities of products illegal in Massachusetts; and a 2025 cease-and-desist order for unapproved occupancies. Citing proximity to Lynn English High School and Hood Elementary, and these enforcement actions, the council voted unanimously to deny the permit.

The meeting then turned to a lengthy public hearing on an administrative code the mayor submitted under the city charter. The mayor said the code was prepared with outside assistance and department input and offered clarifying language and a proposed four-year review. Several councilors voiced substantive concerns: that the proposed code centralized administrative authority, could be interpreted to supersede city ordinances in cases of conflict, and had been developed without the level of council collaboration some members sought. After debate, the council adopted a motion to disapprove the administrative code, requested the mayor prepare a revised administrative code addressing the council's concerns, and recommended that two councilors appointed by the council president and the city solicitor participate in drafting the revision. The roll-call tally for the action was recorded in the meeting as 9 in favor of denial to 2 opposed, and the order therefore failed to pass as submitted.

The actions were taken during the course of a full council meeting that included other committee reports and a package of grant and contract approvals handled earlier in the evening. The council also set several future public hearings and accepted reports from multiple standing committees.