Calvert Commissioners Intervene in Tiki's Liquor License

On Thursday evening The Tiki Bar was up before the Calvert County Liquor Board, after the county received requests from citizens that there be a public hearing before its license is renewed.

The Liquor Board deals with violations relating to the sale of alcohol, which can include the level of noise emanating from the premises if it is deemed a public disturbance or nuisance. Although members of the board attempted to stress that the meeting should address liquor-related issues, they could not help the focus shifting in part to discussions of the bar’s controversial renovations.

In a surprising move, the county attorney, Emanuel Demedis, was the first to take the stand on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners. “The board doesn’t take a position on renewing or not renewing a liquor license,” he began, but quickly laid out objections to the bar’s operations, including five zoning violations, an injunction, and a consent order in which the bar has agreed to remove all “illegal” items (namely sand, statues and palm trees) by May 30. Demedis also let those in attendance know that he had contacted the Maryland Department of Taxation and found that the Tiki Bar had not filed its taxes for 2005, nor applied for an extension.

Emanuel Demedis, County Attorney, represented the commissioners at the public meeting of the liquor board

Demedis then made a request for the decision on the liquor license to be continued until June 29. “At that point the county would have no objection to renewing the liquor license,” he said. “We request that you not reissue the license until you hear from planning and zoning that all violations have been corrected. He said there need not be another public meeting, a phone call from the County Commissioners.

Following Demedis’ appeal for a continuance, the liquor board warned attendees to stay on subject, stressing that it was not a Planning and Zoning meeting.

“The last gentleman didn’t stay on subject,” came one call from the audience. “The first thing he said was about zoning.”

“This is going to be a short meeting for you,” came the curt warning from the bench.

As it happened the meeting was far from short for anyone. For over three hours citizens took the floor to air grievances, and, more often than not, to voice their support for the Tiki Bar.

Dr. Ross, a resident of Solomon’s Island, represented ten citizens in his campaign to curb activities and noise at the bar. He presented hefty binders of material to the board members, and asked for the condition that the applicants “respect the letter and intent of the law.” He complained of the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in areas not approved by Planning and Zoning, primarily the area to the side of the bar that leads to the parking lots and the area between the bar and Rt. 2, and he asked that drinks only be sold and consumed inside the bar itself.