County liquor inspector reports widespread compliance checks, a break-in and a WinterFest vendor issue

Trey, the county liquor inspector, told the Caroline County Board of License Commissioners on Dec. 17 that he completed underage-compliance checks across establishments during the holiday period and described the year as 'one of the better years' for compliance work.

Trey reported a break-in at a North County business in which several bottles of liquor were stolen; he said the business had documented the incident and that the theft was under investigation. He also recounted an incident at WinterFest in which a state-licensed vendor set up without notifying county staff. Trey said the state had issued a permit for that vendor but that county inspections still apply; he advised the vendor on proper setup and gave verbal guidance. Commissioners who attended WinterFest corroborated the inspector's account.

The inspector said most establishments passed recent checks and that targeted underage-buy attempts were turned away, and that the office is considering additional training (ServSafe or TIP certification) for staff and servers in the coming year to strengthen compliance efforts. Trey said he plans to continue routine inspections and follow up on documentation and reported incidents.

The board did not record any enforcement actions in the meeting transcript related to these incidents; Trey said existing infractions had received verbal warnings and that formal enforcement had not been described during the meeting.

The meeting adjourned after the inspector's report; staff will include inspection outcomes in the next monthly board report.