May City volunteer seeks buffer and vendor support for Ragbride fundraiser; supervisors ask staff to investigate legal options

A representative of the May City Ragbride committee and the May City volunteer fire department introduced himself to the Osceola County Board of Supervisors and asked the county to consider measures that would protect the fire department's fundraiser during the Ragbride event.

“My name is Nick. If you don't know me, I'm the face of the Ragbride committee,” the speaker said, identifying himself as a co-chair and the point of contact for the event. He told supervisors the ride route will pass through May City for roughly 12 miles of event activity inside the county and that the volunteer fire department plans a liquor-licensed fundraiser as part of its primary annual fundraiser.

Nick asked the board to consider creating a buffer (limiting new liquor licenses) around May City during the event or otherwise restricting competing beer-garden-style vendors so that the majority of event patronage would support the local fire department. He said the department last hosted Ragbride-related fundraising in 2014 and that the town's fire department cleared about $9,000 on that prior event, which paid for needed equipment. The speaker also asked the county to consider vendor fees that could benefit the local fire department if the county could not legally block outside vendors.

Supervisors responded that county zoning and commercial-property rules limit where a liquor license can be issued and that a county-wide buffer could raise legal questions; one supervisor said only the town's commercially zoned corner property (identified in the meeting as owned by Bob Lewis) would clearly qualify as a permanent commercial site. Supervisors said county health and environmental-health permitting also apply to food vendors and that staff would need to check whether the county has the authority to limit licenses or impose vendor-fee rules on private property along the route.

Board members asked staff to research whether the county can legally establish a buffer or a vendor fee and to report back at next week's meeting because time is short. Supervisors also discussed examples of vendor fees in other communities (one attendee said some overnight towns charge roughly $600 per vendor booth in other jurisdictions) but cautioned that the county needs a legal review before adopting any fee or buffer.

The county made no immediate commitment to impose a buffer or a fee; instead, supervisors asked staff to investigate legal authority, zoning limits, and any applicable county health or licensing requirements and to return with options at the next scheduled meeting.