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Entrepreneur proposes privately funded retail and tolling at Brooks Park; council says proposal must be opened to others
Summary
Daniel Loper proposed building and operating a bait-and-concession retail kiosk at Brooks Park at his own expense and collecting tolls; the council said the opportunity must be competitively offered and noted retail sales at the park may be disallowed, asking the mayor to research further.
At the Jan. 22 workshop, entrepreneur Daniel Loper proposed constructing a retail building at Brooks Park at his expense and collecting tolls in exchange for operating a bait-and-concession business. Council members discussed kiosk and honor-system payment options, police enforcement of payments and existing surveillance cameras.
Council noted that any arrangement would have to be opened to other parties and could not be awarded directly to one individual without a competitive process. Councilmember Jim Trout was advised that retail sales at Brooks Park are not permitted under current rules, and Councilmember Jennifer White said charging fees could jeopardize eligibility for certain grants for the park. No award or contract was authorized; Mayor Colvin will conduct additional research and report back.
Next steps: Mayor Colvin to research statutory and grant implications and whether retail operations or fee-collection could be permitted at Brooks Park.
