Council directs staff to develop RFP for park concessions after vendor concerns; motion passes 5–0

The Monroe City Council on Dec. 2 directed the mayor and staff to develop criteria and issue a request for proposals (RFP) for concessionaire services at Sky River and Lake Ty parks.

Parks director Kevin Teague summarized the existing concessionaire contract (initiated in 2020) and said the vendor is contractually required to operate during city‑sponsored events but is not required to attend every community or Little League game. Teague said staff had not received earlier complaints about vendor availability and noted the city can allow event organizers to bring their own food truck when appropriate.

A recent email from a community member prompted council discussion about expectations. “The contract allows the vendor to choose when they're going to operate. We don't require that they operate anytime that there is a baseball game… We do require that they operate when we have a city sponsored event,” Teague said.

Councilmembers emphasized fairness and opportunity for other vendors; several said an RFP would let others compete while acknowledging the current vendor has provided reliable service. Councilmember Scarborough urged caution about public emails that are sharply worded and recommended confirming validity before taking punitive action.

Outcome: Council moved to direct the mayor and staff to discuss RFP criteria with council and proceed to issue an RFP for concession services at Sky River and Lake Ty parks. The motion passed 5–0; Councilmember Fulcher had recused herself for item 6.1.