Twp. Committee to Vote on Liquor License

The Committee will hold a public hearing and final vote Thursday night on an ordinance amending the number of consumption liquor licenses and the annual fees for all liquor licenses in town.

By statute, municipalities can create and bid one consumption liquor license per 3,000 residents. The township currently has a population of about 10,000 people.

"Currently, our ordinance only allows for two," Mayor Nicole Hagner said. Those two licenses are currently held by and the .

The ordinance will also raise the annual fees for both consumption and retail liquor licenses. A consumption license will cost $1,915 annually (up from the current fee of $1,595) and a retail distribution license will cost $630.

If the ordinance passes, the third license will be put out to bid. The winning bid must prove the establishment where the license will be used can meet certain qualifications, including minimum distances from schools and religious establishments.

The Chatham Township Committee meets at the Thursday at 7:30 p.m. A full agenda for the meeting can be found in the Photos section of this article.