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NORTHBRIDGE, Mass. – A Linwood Avenue resident wasn’t able to gain support from the Northbridge Board of Selectmen Monday night to discuss a popular hot dog trailer set up on Main Street from May to November each year.
Denis Latour, a member of the Board of Assessors, speaking during the citizens comment portion of the meeting, said his complaint isn’t with the trailer’s owner or operation, but with the town’s description of its use.
“It’s hardly a temporary trailer; it’s a seasonal use similar to Pirates Cove (on Providence Road),” he said. The difference, he continued, “is Pirates Cove pays taxes and they don’t.”
Latour said the trailer owner isn’t required to pay taxes or follow Board of Health regulations but is allowed to compete against existing businesses that do pay taxes and follow stringent Board of Health rules.
“They pull in and start doing business while everyone else jumps through hoops,” he said.
Discussion by selectmen on Latour’s comments would have required a 4 to 1 vote of the board, but with Selectmen James Marzec and Charles Ampagoomian voting against Selectman Thomas Melia’s motion for discussion, the vote failed.
In an unrelated matter, members of the Northbridge American Legion Post 343 Baseball Club received pats on the back and certificates of appreciation from selectmen.
For the first time in its 27-year history, the team made it to the final game in the state championship, ending in second place with an impressive 30-10 record for the season.
“They’ve had an amazing year and we wanted to honor them,” said Selectman Chairman Daniel Nolan, presenting certificates to Legion President John Berkowitz and Coach John Demagian as club members looked on.
Comments (12)
The following message is from the owner of Dotta's Kitchen
1) I would like to start of by saying I've been a resident of Northbridge for 28 yrs, I have 2 daughters that have gone thru the Northbridge public school systems & now I have 2 grandchildren in 2nd & 3rd grade also in the northbridge school system. I spend my money in this town, On a typical friday night you'll often see my wife & I at Harry's pizza, Most mornings at crystal gas, & 9am @ Jumbo donuts. I have an acct at Koopman lumber, Do business with Kerns, & Gaudett insurance, I buy my tire's from crothers for the last 25yrs.
2) The property Tax is paid by the Owner of the property,. Who happens to be one of the largest tax payers in the town Of Northbridge.
3) I did a fund raiser for the PTA this spring where I gave them not my profit but but everything I made (Northbridge 5K + Family fun day)
Dennis Latour if you happend to come by last monday you would have seen Jubes Restraunts van at the stand, How nice it is to see US businesses support each other in this town...
Charles Berry, Owener of Dotta's Kitchen
My parents are the owners of Dotta's Kitchen, Dennis needs to find something better to do with his time then try & run my parents out of business!! They are hard workers just trying to make a living like everybody else, We have bigger issues around town to deal with then my parents hotdog stand as even the board of selectman seem to again, its time to move on from this & focus on more important issues!!
Dennis is a LOOSER and always has been, best of luck to your parents
Thank you icecat
If those who have a vested interest, i.e. competing
businesses who feel the playing field isn't level,
want to bring up the issue I can see taking the time
for discussion then. But if you're talking about
looking under every rock for any possible tax
money in town, forget it. There's too many rocks.
With all the issues facing this town, we are fighting over a hot dog cart.....
This is ridiculous. I go to that hot dog stand quite a bit and I know for a fact they have been certified. They have their certificates hanging to prove it and I was there one day when they were being inspected. Their trailer is on private property and the owners of that property pay taxes. There really isn't much of an argument here and this guy needs to stop finding little things to complain about.
There is a standard already. how did the town handle the Hot Dog Truck already in town? Seems to me they should treat this new Truck the same way.
Dennis Latour,the Town crier who cant keep his nose out of anyone's business.He has so much time on his hands he complains about a title 5 septic on property he has never been on.You would think he would shut up after his Church Street fiasco.
The guy is a menace thank god 2 selectman knew what he is and ignored him.Icecat is totally right,get a life.
amen
I felt the same, but then realized that Mr. Latour is just doing his job as a Board of Assessors member. Still, I don't feel this issue should be high on anyone's priority list. Perhaps the rules should be amended to limit mobile snack bars to x per town, per precinct, or whatever.
I may agree with you Jethro, on this one.