Politics & Government

Woonsocket City Council Nixes Advance America's Pawn Shop Bid

The Woonsocket City Council voted unanimously to reject Advance America's application for a second hand dealer's license at 204 South Main St. Monday night. 

A second vote to drop the number of allowed second-hand dealer licenses in the city from 21 to 15 was a closer thing at 4-3, with Council President John Ward and Councilmen Dan Gendron and Bob Moreau voting against the move. 

Ward said Tuesday that the decision to deny a license for Advance America (WPS Systems Ltd. of New England, dba Advance America, Cash Advance) came after the company failed to send a representative to Monday night's meeting at City Hall as the Council had asked. 

The decision to reduce the number of such licenses requires a second passage at the Council's next meeting, likely on Tuesday, Sept. 3, Ward said.  

In the event the new limit on the licenses passes at that meeting, the current 16 second-hand licenses in the city remain valid, Ward said. When one of the city's existing businesses with a second-hand license closes up, he said, the new limit would be observed. "That first one (business to close up) would never be re-issued," Ward said. 

The Council also tabled a request by Blake’s Pub & Pizzeria, 1077 Park Ave., for a liquor license, with a 2 a.m. closing and extension to outside deck from Aug. 15 through Nov. 15, 2013, until a special meeting Aug. 26. 


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