FENWICK ISLAND – Last Friday the Fenwick Island Town Council approved several initiatives preparing for the 2015 summer season as well as the application for additional grant funds to amend drainage on West Dagsboro Street.
Beach Service Vendor Sought
A couple of years ago, the Town of Fenwick Island inked contracts with Steen’s Beach Service for beach equipment rentals and Go Melvo, Inc. for beach concessions. Both contracts were for one year with the option to renew for an additional year.
At the end of the 2013 summer season, Town Manager Merritt Burke received correspondence from Go Melvo, which provided snowballs at the State Line Beach, to renew the contract for the 2014 summer season at the previous bid price of $11,500. The council approved the one-year extension of Go Melvo at the same price.
However, Steen’s declined the option to renew the contract at the approved bid price of $13,212. The company stated it was still interested in providing beach equipment rentals in Fenwick but it simply paid too much last season. The council voted to re-bid the beach equipment rental concession.
In March, Steen’s returned with a bid price $3,212 and was the only response to the bid. The council voted to approve a one-year contract with Steen’s with the option to renew this year.
On Friday, Burke recommended the council approve a new contract with Go Melvo to provide concessions at the State Line Beach again for $11,500. However, there was no word on where Steen’s stand.
The council voted to approve for the town to bid out the beach concession service for a two-year contract with two, one-year extensions. Go Melvo was awarded a one-year contract and one-year extension for $11,500.
Fenwick Flicks To Continue
Bethany-Fenwick Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kristie Maravalli came before the council to request a continuation of the town’s sponsorship of Fenwick Flicks in the 2015 summer season.
“Fenwick Flicks was a great success this year. We would like to run it again,” Maravalli said. “The successes of 2014 are we thought it was very positive. We had 300 to 400 people to a movie. One night we didn’t show the movie because of the wind but we still had 250 people on the beach having a great time.”
Maravalli proposed the town sponsor Fenwick Flicks with $800 in the upcoming summer season. Councilman Bill Weistling made a motion the town sponsor Fenwick Flicks and to continue the program in the 2015 summer season. The council voted unanimously to approve.
For the past several years, the Chamber of Commerce has organized several movies each summer where residents and visitors come to sit on the beach and watch family-friendly flicks for free.
The event has also been sponsored by many different businesses, but the chamber has been struggling recently with covering equipment and labor costs to keep Fenwick Flicks going.
Last year the council agreed to fund up to $2,000 to assist the Chamber of Commerce to run movies in the 2014 summer season.
Installment Plan Added
To Stand Sponsorships
Burke explained this will be the third year funds received from the Lifeguard Stand Sponsorship program will be included in the budget. In the first year, approximately $13,000 was received from the program. However while $10,000 was projected in the budget last year the town received $7,000.
“I still think we can reach that number,” Burke said.
The town charges $800 for a 14-inch by 40-inch rear sign and $500 for 14-inch by 20-inch sign on each side of the stand.
“We had almost a 50-percent decline in revenue,” Councilman Todd Smallwood said. “I have talked with several business owners and they really want the option to do this in installments.”
Burke responded he has received mixed reviews from businesses.
“We can market more aggressively. It is a unique advertising opportunity. It is not for everybody. I still think it will max out between $7,000 and $10,000. I don’t think we need to lower or raise the prices,” he said.
Burke added the town has provided the option for businesses to make incremental payments in the past.
“Staff works with the business community in the spirit of trying to make things work,” he said.
Councilman Roy Williams recommended the Town space out the payments.
“Maybe next year if you still see a 30 percent decline then we start looking at dropping the price,” Smallwood said.
Councilwoman Diane Tingle made a motion the town continue the 2015 Lifeguard Stand Sponsorship at the same price with installment payments. The council voted unanimously to approve.
Town To Apply For Grant
Last year the council voted to approve the application for a $30,000 DNREC Water Matching Planning Grant to perform engineering to install drainage on West Dagsboro Street from McWilliams Street to Wright Street on both sides.
On Friday, Burke announced URS Engineering out of Millsboro is almost complete and the town will go to bid this winter for spring construction, if approved.
Burke furthered, it is that time of year when DNREC is accepting proposals for Water Matching Planning Grants.
“When this grant came out, looking at the amount of water that flows from Route 1 down to that project, or lack of adequate drainage on West Dagsboro, I thought to myself this would be a great grant … to take a holistic mapping approach to drainage,” he said.
URS submitted a proposal to conduct a survey, drainage design, erosion and sediment control plan for both the north and south sides of West Dagsboro Street that will cost close to $13,000, and Burke requested the town submit an application for an additional DNREC Water Matching Planning Grant.
Weistling made a motion the town proceed to apply for a DNREC matching grant for a project on the north and south side of Dagsboro not to exceed a cost to the town of $6,500. The council voted unanimously to approve.
If approved by DNREC this grant will allow surface and bay water to drain, be stored and eventually release to the canal instead of ponding on the roadway and causing surface/bay water flooding issues.