Concession and lease agreements under review
subcommittee being formed to address changes
The Asbury City Council will consider changes to concession agreements and the transportation center leases.
The municipality currently has four concession agreements and two leases at the transportation center on Main Street.
At the transportation center, a coffee shop and Tops Taxi have long-standing agreements to rent the space but have not honored the lease agreement’s stipulation to install separate utility meter service.
“I’ve been asking for this since 2003,” Mayor John Moor said. “Taxpayers are paying for their electric and heat 24/7. The signed an agreement that says they were supposed to put in their own meters.”
Moor said they have not done so in 12 years.
Private vendor concession 5-year agreements from 2011 also are coming to an end. They include beach chair and umbrella rentals at the beach, the peddle boat rentals on Wesley Lake, stand-up paddle on Deal Lake, and private surf lesson at the 8th Avenue beach.
Municipal attorney Fred Raffetto said the Request for Proposal [RFP] process provides the City Council discretion in stipulating a minimum bid, setting an annual fee arrangement, with the right to negotiate increases or decreases.
“I’m looking for a minimum bid,” Moor said. “And, a year in escrow because right now we have a vendor that hasn’t paid us yet. I’d also like bidders to pay all the legal fees to get the contract drawn up because right now we are losing money on some of these.”
An informal subcommittee or working group will be formed in order to make recommendations to the full Council with regard to the bids and other requirements associated with the RFP process.
The committee would be charged with vetting what other shore towns charge for similar concessions, like the umbrella and beach rentals, as well as determining costs associated with the installation of utility meters at the transportation center.
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