State officials have slapped $2,400 in fines on the Massachusetts hotel accused of hosting two events last weekend that violated Covid-19 safety standards, including mask requirements and the 100-person limit for outdoor events.
The penalties against the Colonial Hotel in Gardner were handed down shortly after Gov. Charlie Baker, at a press conference on Friday, pointed to its events as one reason his administration would begin cracking down harder on gatherings that flout coronavirus regulations. Baker has cut the maximum capacity for outdoor events to 50 people, among other new restrictions.
The Colonial has now been fined a total of $3,000 for the events. Gardner city officials had fined the wedding venue $600 on Thursday..
Baker had signaled the additional penalties were coming when he said during the press conference that he expected additional fines against the Colonial to be “significantly into the thousands of dollars.”
The general manager of the Colonial Hotel is disputing allegations made to government officials about the size of two events over the weekend that led local authorities to fine the popular wedding venue for violating Covid-19 restrictions.
According to allegations made to state and local officials, the Colonial in Gardner hosted a 240-guest, 70-employee wedding on Aug. 1 and a 190-guest wedding reception the following day. The hotel put on the events despite receiving warnings from authorities tipped off to the plans.
State and local officials received complaints about the size of the events both before and after they took place. They had warned the Colonial beforehand to adhere to state restrictions, but the hotel still allegedly put on an Aug. 1 wedding featuring 240 guests and 70 employees, and an Aug. 2 wedding reception featuring 190 guests.
The Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards issued four $300 fines for each of the two events, according to copies of the civil citations reviewed by the Business Journal. The citations pointed to four violations at both events.
To limit Covid-19′s spread, state regulations limit outdoor events to a maximum of 100 people, including employees working the event. On Friday afternoon, Gov. Charlie Baker said the number of people allowed at outdoor events will be cut to 50 from the current 100-person limit, starting Tuesday, Aug. 11.
The Colonial was cited in each instance for hosting an outdoor event with more than 100 people. Both times, hotel management failed to intervene when guests danced in the dance-floor area, even though the flooring tiles had been removed, according to the citations. In addition, the hotel was supposed to require masks except when guests were seated to eat and drink, but “very few people” at either event were wearing masks, the citations said.
The hotel was also cited for broadly failing to follow the safety standards for restaurants and events. There were no specific citations for operating a bar, as the hotel was alleged to have done.
Colonial Hotel General Manager Nicole Moorshead said in an email on Friday morning that the attendance figures reported to authorities were incorrect, though she would not specify what the figures were.
In a statement sent to media outlets earlier in the week, Moorshead had referenced “misconceptions” and “inaccuracies” about the hotel’s recent operations without specifying what they were.
Moorshead was seeking a meeting with local officials about the allegations, she said Friday. She hopes to provide more information after the meeting takes place, she added.
The Aug. 1 wedding was for a member of Moorshead’s family, according to Lauren Saunders, Gardner’s director of public health.
The hotel can appeal the fines, but it must do so before Tuesday, according to the citations.
Baker said on Friday that going forward, the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission would play a greater role in Covid-19 enforcement because it has authority to take away licenses and impose larger fines in response to violations.
This article originally appeared on the Boston Business Journal’s website.
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