Norfolk Select Board Approves Liquor License Transfer to Local Store Workers

NORFOLK — February 25, 2026 — Norfolk Select Board unanimously approves liquor license transfer, names chief procurement officer, and flags a structurally imbalanced FY27 budget. The board voted 3-0 Wednesday to transfer a Section 15 off-premise package store license from Shubham Variety Inc., doing business as Linda's Variety, to Laxmi Market Inc., with Shardaben Patel designated as manager; attorney David Hearn Jr. of Gellman and Cabral described both Patels as TIP certified and longtime store employees. The board also approved a DBA change for Sarti Convenience Inc. from Liquor World to Liquor Hub and appointed Amanda Johan as the town's MCPPO-certified chief procurement officer. Town Administrator Rob Garrity reported a $499,000 Complete Streets grant for a shared-use path near the Senior Center and a $900,000 federal earmark — with a potential $240,000 state match — for engineering work to connect the state prison's sewer line to the town center, calling it a potential catalyst for commercial development. On the budget, Garrity warned that health insurance savings of roughly 9 percent were "essentially erased" by a King Philip Regional School District assessment running approximately 6.9 percent above last year, leaving Norfolk's overall budget "considerably out of balance" after years of drawing on ARPA funds and free cash to close gaps.