Atlantic Beach council scraps $350 property-owner deposit, approves Bikefest vendor contracts

The Atlantic Beach Town Council on May 4 voted to amend the Bikefest ordinance so that property owners who clean and maintain their lots will receive refunds of the $350 deposit, and separately approved contracts and revenue arrangements for Bikefest vendors that exceed $5,000.

Councilwoman Jacqueline Gore led the push to remove the property-owner fee, arguing it penalized taxpayers who clean their lots. "To charge the property owners $350 to rent their own property ... to me seems a little harsh and it's double jeopardy," Gore said, urging council to eliminate the charge and reimburse those who had paid. Her initial motion to remove the fee tied 2‑2, but a later amendment to guarantee refunds for cleaned lots passed unanimously.

Interim Town Manager Titus Leaks told the council the $350 had been treated as a deposit to ensure absent property owners cleared debris; the administration said historically the town refunded the fee when lots were left clean, though that refund language was not consistently documented in outreach materials. Leaks explained that the amendment formalizes refund eligibility: "If they clean their lot" they can be refunded, he said.

Council also considered two motions tied to event procurement and receipts. Resolution 7‑2026 authorized the interim town manager to enter Bikefest vendor contracts over $5,000; Leaks noted specific line items on the table, including porta‑johns for $10,751 and an $18,000 cleanup contract. Resolution 8‑2026 authorized entering contracts to receive event-related revenues over $5,000. Both resolutions passed by roll call with all four council members voting in favor.

Council members pressed staff on several operational details: whether the town would place its insurance on private parking lots used for Bikefest (Leaks said the town would require insurance whenever the town accepted control of a private lot and posted parking there), how parking revenue compared to costs (Leaks said last year parking produced about $3,000), and whether vendor passes and printed materials could be done in‑house to reduce expenses. Leaks reported $20,000 in vendor fees collected to date.

The town also reduced its use of council golf carts for the event, with staff and law‑enforcement agencies providing most carts; Leaks said the total available would be about 16, down from about 28 last year. Council members asked staff to review alternatives to expensive rentals such as tables and chairs and to consider bonding or other controls for staff who handle event receipts.

The council will move forward with the amended Bikefest ordinance refund language and the approved procurement resolutions; Leaks said staff will finalize contracts and insurance arrangements in the leadup to the event scheduled for May 22–26.