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Letter to the editor: Bruce says try this approach

By BRUCE BROWN

Owner/chef, Bruce's Fabulous Foods

Published: September 24, 2009

OK, let's try another idea for the hot dog cart issue. I originally believed that $100 per year was a form of "rent" application for a downtown property and that the payment was too low for the location. My mistake. I now know this fee is not considered "rent"! I was not behind the raised figure of $1,200 per year, but I admit that I did not fight against the proposal by the Planning Board.
Let's try a different approach — reduce the "application fee" back down to $100, payable by April 1 each calendar year. In addition, a signed lease for one of the approved downtown vending locations, in the amount of $100 per month, will be paid by the cart operator quarterly.
I believe that nobody will want to attempt outdoor sales for the months of January/February/March, therefore, no rent and no vendors for those months. The quarters for April/May/June and July/August/September will be "leased" to the vendor for a price of $300 per quarter. No discounts due to weather or pro-rated rates for partial months. This works out to about $5 per day, $25 per week, $100 per month for each of the five sites, based on a five-day work week.
When we reach the fourth quarter of October/November/December, rent is still $300 but refund the application fee paid in April. Therefore, the payment will only be $200 for the fourth quarter and the vendor can take the month of December off if the weather is prohibitive.
Our city-owned and maintained properties downtown are worth something and carry a definite value! They should not be given away for free, nor do I think $100 per month rent is exhorbitant or prohibitive to conducting a profitable business. If that is too expensive, then maybe hot dog carts cannot survive in the current economic atmosphere downtown.
So, here are the final numbers: April 1, payment of $400 for the yearly application and rent for the second quarter; July 1, payment of $300 for rent for the third quarter; Oct. 1, payment of $200 for rent for the fourth quarter. A total of $900 for application and rental fees for each site, per each vendor for use of the property for eight good months (April through November) and the possibility of a ninth month of business (December).
It is less than the proposal of $1,200 per year, manageable by the city and, I believe, equitable to all parties conducting business in downtown Marion. Is this objectionable? I don't think so. Am I trying to compromise? Yes, because I, too, want to see downtown Marion thrive and prosper.
I'm not scared of competition, as long as it is on a level playing field. That is all any business person should ask for and expect.
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