Selectmen Ask Business Owner to Pay Past Due Electric Bills

For the second consecutive meeting, Danvers selectmen brought a business owner before them about a bounced check that was used to pay for a liquor license.

The owner of Maple Street Tavern on Tuesday blamed the bounced check on a bookkeeping error – not a financial issue.

Dean Borders said he wears “many hats” at the business and acknowledged that bookkeeping is not his strong suit. Borders cleared up the amount owed for the liquor license, but selectmen also questioned the business owner about past due electric bills.

Town Manager Wayne Marquis said the Maple Street business owes electric bills back to October. Borders said he will pay half the $5,400 balance this week and then pay the rest within a month.

Unlike the business involved in the previous meeting, Selectman Dan Bennett said this is the first time that Maple Street Tavern has fallen behind in its payments so he is willing to give the popular eatery the benefit of the doubt.

Selectman Bill Clark was not as understanding. Clark said Maple Street Tavern does a great business and said “I can’t believe that you can’t keep up with your payments to your obligations with the town.”

Clark said if the electric bills are not paid within 30 days that the board should bring back Borders for another hearing.

“This isn’t appropriate at all,” Clark said to Borders. “You’re treading on thin ice. You know that.”

The Board of Selectmen could have voted to revoke the license, but instead agreed that if the electric bills are not paid within a month that Borders will appear before them again at the May 20 meeting.