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Vendor pitches ad-wrapped beach trash cans; board takes proposal under advisement
Summary
A vendor, Fairway Marketing, proposed replacing or refacing beach trash receptacles with weatherproof advertising wraps that would display city messaging and private ads. Board members pressed the vendor on maintenance, fair-market value, bidding, and how revenue or in-kind value would return to Harrison County; no contract or vote was taken.
Alan Toronto, representing Fairway Marketing, proposed that Harrison County replace or resurface its beach trash receptacles with weatherproof vinyl wraps that carry city branding and paid advertisements. "We're proposing to take your existing trash receptacles on the beach and convert them into an advertising opportunity," Toronto said, adding the vinyl is weatherproof and lasts "6 to 7 years." Toronto cited examples including Balboa Park in San Diego and his firm's work on golf-course advertising.
Board members asked how the arrangement would affect county staff, who currently empty and maintain the cans. One board member noted the county would still be responsible for trash removal and asked "how does that get back to the people of Harrison County" if county personnel perform the ongoing maintenance. Toronto said his company would maintain the exterior wrap and keep it in good condition but would not handle trash disposal.
County officials also raised procurement and legal concerns. A board member reminded the group that leasing county property for advertising typically requires a fair-market-value arrangement or a formal bid process; another suggested the arrangement could be handled in-kind if the company supplied and picked up cans. Toronto said the company had discussed shared-revenue models in other jurisdictions but had not finalized a revenue split for Harrison County.
The board identified Trey as the point of contact for follow-up and took the proposal "under advisement," with staff planning to continue vetting legal, procurement, and revenue-sharing options. No formal motion or vote to authorize a contract was recorded in the transcript excerpt.
