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Downtown vendor request draws mixed response; commission says no expansion now
Summary
A downtown business owner asked the commission to allow a second vendor at the First Street North beach entrance; commissioners said a waiting list and past expansion have created enforcement concerns and they opposed increasing vendor numbers at this time.
Kevin Key, who identified himself as a downtown business owner, asked the commission to permit an additional beach vendor at the First Street North entrance and said his business invested in downtown property improvements and family-oriented attractions.
Kevin Key said he and his partner would compete for a space if the commission approved a second vendor for the location. "We would like to submit a proposal ... we would have to compete for it if you are to approve a second vendor on the First Street North," he told the commission.
Commissioners reviewed the history of the beach vendor program, noting the city limited the number of vendors decades ago and currently manages a waiting list. Several commissioners said two vendors in one beach location would create enforcement headaches and is not in the residents' interest. "There should absolutely never be 2 vendors at 1 beach," one commissioner said during the discussion.
The commission closed public comment and did not change the vendor cap; members signaled they are not inclined to expand the number of vendors at this time and emphasized enforcement and resident preferences as the basis for that position.
What happens next: Staff retains current vendor rules and the waiting list process; if a vendor slot opens the city's established procedure will determine who is eligible to fill it.
