Politics & Government

Breastfeeding, Liquor License on Council Agenda

Doylestown Borough Council will tackle two recent controversial issues at Monday night's council meeting.

 

Will Doylestown enact a local rule protecting nursing mothers from discrimination in public?

Will council members reconsider an application for a new liquor license for a private club in town?

Find out what's happening in Doylestownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Both decisions are expected to be made Monday night at Doylestown Borough Council's monthly meeting. It starts at 7 p.m. in council chambers at Borough Hall. The public is encouraged to attend. This one could be interesting.

First up will be the final decision on a proposed breastfeeding protection ordinance.

Find out what's happening in Doylestownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If the council members vote on Monday the same way they did last month, the ordinance will win approval by a narrow margin. 

The nine council members - all Democrats - voted 5 - 4 in August to advertise the ordinance. Voting in favor were Det Ansinn, Don Berk, Susan Madian, Marlene Pray and Noni West. Voting against were Joan Doyle, David Laustsen, Kevin Kelly and Dennis McCauley.

The ordinance would amend Doylestown's anti-discrimination ordinance to include breastfeeding mothers as a protected class in areas of public accommodation.

The addition would mean nursing mothers who were harassed or asked to cover up or to leave a public place like a shop or restaurant could file a complaint with the borough. The borough's human relations officer would then investigate and, if warranted, bring the parties together to try to resolve the dispute.

Also on Monday's agenda are two items regarding a liquor license for a new club to replace the Moose Lodge.

Bill Bolla petitioned borough council to reconsider a request to transfer a liquor license from Bristol Borough to Doylestown. Matthew Bender wanted to use the new license to open a bar and restaurant in the Moose Lodge building at 127 E. State St. Bender is the son in law of the building's owners, Bob and Mary Ellen Walton.

A hearing on Aug. 20 on the license transfer packed borough council chambers with people supporting Bender's application and neighbors of the Moose lodge opposed to it.

At the end of that meeting, the nine council members voted unanimously to deny the transfer. But borough solicitor David Conn still had to present the council's "findings of fact," which he is expected to do Monday night.

Then, council members will vote on a resolution outlining their final position on the transfer.

What will they do? Stay tuned for the answers after Monday's meeting.

To see tonight's full agenda, click on the PDF file attached to this article.

 

Learn More:

  • Doylestown Considering Breastfeeding Ordinance
  • Breastfeeding Ordinance Advances
  • Divided Doylestown Council Advances Breastfeeding Ordinance
  • Moose Denied Liquor License Transfer
  • Attorney Asks for Second Chance for New Club


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