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Belmar concession operator urges council to honor Taylor Pavilion catering status amid new sealed-bid process
Summary
Taylor Pavilion concession operator Ann Ke told council she lost Memorial Day weekend business after electrical failures and said the borough did not honor preferred-caterer status in her lease; councilors said the lease expired and the surf-camp concession will be reissued via sealed bids as required.
Ann Ke, the concession operator at Taylor Pavilion, publicly appealed to the borough to honor a preferred-caterer clause in her lease and to provide compensation or reinstatement after she said electrical problems prevented an intended Memorial Day opening and cost significant revenue.
“I paid $66,000 for that piece. I want what I signed up for,” Ke told the council, describing equipment failures, limited electric capacity on the pavilion and an offer she said borough staff made to let her out of the lease in exchange for signing a release. She said she had not been placed on the borough’s preferred-catering list and asked for either reinstatement or credit for lost business.
Council members and staff explained the current concession-term has expired and the borough is legally required to reissue the surf-camp concession by competitive bid. Officials said the new process will use a sealed bid format, not a public auction, and that current operators were consulted on the lease terms but must compete in the open bidding process.
Residents voiced strong support for the surf camp’s community value and raised concerns about the sealed-bid format, urging the council to consider measures that avoid unnecessarily displacing local operators. The council emphasized the decision to require sealed bids was a legal obligation and not intended to target any operator.
Council also said staff is clarifying rules on temporary removable structures on the beach (storage sheds) and established a 100-foot buffer from the pier for safety. The council closed public comment and later recessed to executive session for contract negotiations.
