By Carol Britton Meyer

The Select Board this week acted upon a citizen’s petition bearing the requisite 200 signatures to call a Special Town Meeting related to the potential granting of an additional package store license for the Quick Pick Food Store on Nantasket Avenue.

The date was set for Thursday, Aug. 31, at 7 p.m. at Hull High School, 180 Main St. When such a citizen’s petition is submitted and the signatures validated – as is the case with this one – the state requires that a Special Town Meeting be called within 45 days of receipt of the petition (July 17 in this case).

The required 100 signatures were also gathered for submission of the related warrant article asking the town to vote to authorize the select board to petition the General Court for an act of special legislation granting an additional liquor license for the sale of all alcoholic beverages to be drunk off the premises (package store license), submitted by Hull resident Christine Rivieccio, 16 Merrill Road, and others.

The wording of the article could change on the floor of Special Town Meeting, according to Town Counsel James Lampke, who also noted that Quick Pick already sells beer and wine and that a package store license would allow the store to also sell other kinds of alcohol. The town currently has the ability to issue four package store licenses, which have already been assigned.

Whether there will be other warrant articles for voters to consider is not certain at this time. However, the deadline for submitting additional citizen’s petitions is Monday, Aug. 14, at 3 p.m.

Lampke explained that even if voters approve the citizen’s petition request, the ultimate decision rests with the state legislature. The Select Board would also weigh in. Lampke also noted that it’s unusual “for someone to ask the town to petition the legislature to grant an additional liquor license for a particular location.”

Resident Anne Murray asked the board if in the future the details of such a request could be posted on the agenda so citizens “will understand what the agenda item is all about.” The agenda only mentioned a request for the Select Board to schedule a Special Town Meeting related to the citizen’s petition and the opening and closing of the warrant, with no further information included.

Murray also encouraged the board to educate residents that there is a cost to calling a Special Town Meeting – ”around $8,000 I’ve heard” – to address an issue or issues that didn’t appear on the regular Town Meeting warrant.

The Advisory Board will hold public meetings on the article(s) leading up to the Special Town Meeting. A