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Downtown business owner warns council about trash, dog waste and fading foot traffic ahead of festival
Summary
A downtown business owner told the council that multiple businesses are closing or reducing hours, that alleys and passageways behind Market Street merchants are littered with trash and dog waste ahead of a weekend international festival, and urged the city to do more to maintain public areas and support small businesses.
At the Oct. 14 meeting, downtown business owner Deborah Spear used the persons-requests-to-be-heard period to warn council that business conditions on Market Street were worsening and that city cleanup and enforcement were insufficient.
Spear told council that “we all know that this week, one business closed, one business announced their closing, and two more [are] talking about closing at year’s end.” She said Market Street’s back alleys and passageways are routinely littered with trash and that “we still have 19 to 21 garbage cans on the sidewalk on Market Street on a daily basis.” She described dog feces and broken glass in a passageway behind a Market Street business that she and another proprietor cleaned herself ahead of an international festival.
Spear said the business community is shortening hours and that some merchants are considering closure. She said the city’s decision to remove certain signs from Union Street harmed visibility and sales for small retailers. “I’ve actually had days since then that I’ve made less than a $100,” Spear said, adding that she is considering closing her own business despite recognition she has received in local publications.
City staff did not provide a formal response to all the allegations during the three-minute comment period. The mayor noted the comment and moved on to the next agenda item; staff follow-up was noted as a potential next step in the agenda rules for persons requesting to be heard.
The comment period is an opportunity for citizens to raise concerns for council consideration; if required action is requested, staff typically records contact information and follows up through the city manager’s office.
