The City Commission of Margate approved a temporary use permit allowing Hildebrand Amusements to hold a fair at the CRA-owned site on State Road 7, with commissioners amending the permit to require upfront deposits for police and fire detail and a limit on amplified sound after 10 p.m.

The amendment requires a $100,000 deposit for police and fire services due on November 21 and an additional $25,000 due on Dec. 1; the commission also directed that amplified music and other amplified entertainment must cease at 10 p.m. each night and authorized staff to shut the event down if the amplified-sound restriction is violated.

The change was proposed after repeated public complaints about noise, traffic and the operator’s past late payments for the city’s public-safety overtime. Supporters of the motion framed the deposits as a way to avoid chasing funds after the fair ends; opponents said they objected to holding the event in Margate at all.

City staff said the deposits will be held in escrow and that additional invoiced costs for police and fire services will be due within 30 days of receipt; unpaid amounts after 30 days would begin to accrue the maximum interest allowed by law. The temporary use agreement (TUA) before the commission did not initially codify the police/fire prepayments; the commission’s amendment added that schedule.

Josh Rideau, an attorney representing the applicant, said he supported the fair and offered payment terms his client could accept: “I am in support of the fair, and I'm fine with the times of the opening and closing,” he told the commission and offered an initial prepayment plan that was later adjusted by the commission.

Commissioner Simone repeatedly defended offering compromises to secure prepayment and reduce the city’s collection burden: “If you hate the fair, you hate the fair. No matter what we did, you'd hate the fair,” she said, urging commissioners to accept the amended financial safeguards.

Residents urged the commission to deny the permit or tighten conditions. Tracy Van Winkle and several others told the commission they had seen advertising for the event posted well in advance of final approvals and questioned why the operator had been allowed to advertise before securing required city approvals. Several residents raised traffic and parking concerns for nearby neighborhoods and asked that amplified sound be strictly enforced.

City staff and the applicant said the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) had previously approved the location and that the TUA and CRA rental schedule were separate from police and fire detail costs. The commission’s action specifically addressed the city’s police and fire cost exposure.

The commission voted to approve the resolution as amended. The roll call on the motion was recorded as: Commissioner Rosano — yes; Commissioner Simone — no; Commissioner Casciano — yes; Vice Mayor (listed in the record) — yes. The temporary use permit includes dates presented to the commission for a November 21 through Dec. 7 operating window under the TUA.

The commission directed city staff to monitor compliance, provide invoices promptly to the operator and to enforce the amplified-sound restriction. If amplified sound continues past 10 p.m., staff may order the fair closed for noncompliance under the terms of the temporary use permit.

The amended approval resolves some past complaints about late payment and noise enforcement but leaves broader community disagreements over whether Margate should host the traveling fair.