At its monthly meeting last week, the Licensing Commission called for a November hearing on a potential license violation at La Esquina Mariachi on Washington Avenue and heard a complaint about Blue Taxi.
Police Captain David Betz said La Esquina Mariachi was not able to provide timely video for a sensitive investigation the police department was conducting.
“There was a request made on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5,” said Betz. “Officers went to the proprietors to obtain this video for an incident that occurred on Sept. 17.”
Under the city’s licensing regulations, establishments with a liquor license are required to have working video surveillance systems and to keep the video for 30 days.
Licensing Commission Chair Marnie MacAlpine noted that it is the second time recently there has been an issue with video surveillance at a local establishment. The Chelsea Walk Pub recently faced a disciplinary hearing for not having a working video system.
“I find it disturbing that we’ve now had two of our locations in our city that are not in compliance with the video surveillance,” she said.
The commission also considered a complaint against Blue Taxi claiming a driver overcharged a passenger by charging a flat fee rather than turning on the meter. The complaint also claimed the driver was rude to the passenger.
MacAlpine noted that in addition to the formal complaint, she has heard from several people in the city raising concerns about Blue Taxi drivers not turning on the meter.
A dispatcher for Blue Taxi said there was a driver who was warned several times about charging a flat fee and then was fired.
The commission issued a warning to the company, requiring that for the next three months it keep a log of any complaints it receives and share it with the commission.
“There was no specific date for this incident, so I do not feel comfortable giving any sort of punishment or true disciplinary actions without the dates of the situation,” said MacAlpine. “But I am concerned with the amount of conversation I had in the community where it was brought up that (a driver) did not turn on the meter.”
MacAlpine said the issue would be revisited at the January meeting, and that she hoped there were no further complaints against Blue Taxi in that time.
The commission also approved a beer and wine license for the Hampton Inn Boston Logan Airport Chelsea on Second Street. The beer and wine will be sold at a marketplace in the lobby for consumption either in the lobby or in the guest rooms.