WESTPORT — A ghost of Westport’s past brush with internet infamy — used car dealer vs. pizza delivery man — and a bartender with attitude highlighted last week’s business license renewal session before the Board of Selectmen.
On the hot seat were operators of the only two businesses whose licenses were not approved en masse at an earlier meeting. Selectmen had held both, Joe’s Bar and Grill, 549 American Legion Highway, and Customer First Auto, 237 State Road, due to concerns and complaints.

Customer First Auto
“You’ve been here a relatively short time and we are already getting complaints,” board Chairman Steven Ouellette told company owner Michael Ramos.

Issues mentioned included customer complaints and the fact that a routine police inspection revealed a lack of required paperwork, including no stickers on the windshields of cars parked in the lot.

“I have a corrective plan,” Mr. Ramos told selectmen, admitting that the situation is “embarrassing” and costing him money.

He said the day the officer visited, things were in “complete havoc” and that the “first four or five months have been rough,” but he has since taken steps to remedy the paperwork issues.

Part of the problem, he said, is the “price point” of cars he sells — the $3,000 to $5,000 range, cars “that are more likely to break down.” Some customers come in and put down $500 and the car has problems before the balance has been paid. “If it breaks down they have nothing else.” He added that he does his best to set things right and that he has to send cars out to another garage for repairs.

“It’s not just paperwork,” selectman R. Michael Sullivan said. “If everything is not in order, what are they (police) supposed to think?”

As discussion was ending, selectman Brian Valcourt asked about a Mark Dambrosca. Is he a partner?

No. He was someone who was helping me out for a short period of time.

Is he still there?

Yes, kind of in and out.

“Our concern is that Mr. Dambrosca was also associated with F&R Auto Sales” as a manager.

F&R “had a very bad reputation,” Mr. Valcourt said, so bad that the town finally yanked its license and shut it down. “I don’t want that kind of business to return to Westport. … It was an endless myriad of complaints against F&R Auto Sales, not only how they treated customers — how they treated a pizza delivery guy went viral, worldwide. It was brutal.”

Mr. Sullivan followed up: “Mr. Dambrosca, is he affiliated with the business?”
“Yes he is,” Mr. Ramos replied.

“Okay” (long silence).

Selectmen voted to hold off on the license until the next meeting in order to give police time to do another inspection.

Joe’s Bar and Grill
Action on his license had been held for several reasons, owner Jose Calheta was told, including an incident in which a police officer visited for a routine inspection. There was also concern that the bar wasn’t doing business during the posted hours.
“The bartender gave Lt. Holden a hard time producing her license and then grabbed it back?” Mr. Ouellette asked.

Yes, she did show her license, “but the thing was he did not introduce himself,” did not say he was a police officer, “just flashed his badge.”

“Alright, just seems a little confusing if you’re with him and you know who he is … it’s your employee … Mr. Ouellette continued.

“He did not give me a chance to introduce,” Mr. Calheta said.

“The thing that bothers me most is the interaction with our police officer,” Mr. Sullivan said. “This little controversy was in the presence of you and this woman works for you. People take their lead from the head guy, that’s you … (That ) your employee felt comfortable being disrespectful to a police officer in your presence is not representative of the way” you run your business, is it?

Mr. Sullivan added that “we’ve had issues at this establishment in the past … a lot of disturbances.”

Mr. Calheta said he had not been open from noon to midnight as his license dictates on occasion because he has been understaffed.

He requested that new hours on some days be changed from 3 p.m. to midnight instead.

Selectmen voted to approve the license with the hours changes.