INDIAN ROCKS BEACH – City commissioners began pondering the question, “what’s entertainment?” at their July 27 meeting, while grappling with noise, business interests, community rights and the law.
For months neighbors and businesses in Indian Rocks Beach have been at odds in a tug of war over live music, bars and whose rights were being trampled on.
To solve the problem, the commission decided to establish a committee of homeowners, bar owners and even some out of towners who are subject to the sights and sounds of the city’s nightspots across the Intracoastal Waterway.
On Tuesday, the committee presented its initial report and quickly found itself on what City Attorney Maura Kiefer cautioned, “a slippery slope.”
The committee recommended a permitting system for business owners who want to offer entertainment to their patrons. The permit would specify the right to entertain and a city ordinance would dictate how. That’s where the problem arises.
City Manager Chuck Coward, whose staff worked with the committee and now must draft the ordinance, asked for some clarification, “Is it just amplified music outdoors or acoustic; indoors and outdoors; local jugglers and comedians?”
“Or, possible mimes,” someone offered from the audience.
The committee’s chair, Eric Meyer was adamant.
“Whatever we do, it won’t do to have a permit system without teeth,” he said.
“But the permit system isn’t the enforcement tool,” Kiefer quickly pointed out. “Taking the permit away is. What business would not qualify for a permit initially? It’s how you craft the ordinance that dictates how effective the ‘teeth’ are.”
Mayor R.B. Johnson agreed.
“We’re changing the city charter,” he said, “and we have to be very precise in this.”
Tuesday was just the preliminary round; at least two votes and perhaps another workshop lay ahead.
Millage rate holds steady
The commission also set the top bar for this year’s tax assessment. Before county TRIM notices are mailed to homeowners in August, the tentative millage rate must be announced. This year, no change. Unless the commission lowers the tax rate it will remain the same as last year at 2.0, based on an estimated property valuation of $788,835,014.
Referring to the sluggish economy, Commissioner Dan Torres observed,
“We’re looking to tighten down and keep the city healthty.”
Preferred vendors
The commission also began a proposal to establish a preferred vendor list Tuesday by asking staff for recommendations. A preferred vendor list could favor local businesses bidding on city contracts by weighting the bid process to favor hometown businesses.
A preferred vendor list would include suppliers whose businesses exist within Indian Rocks Beach. For the most part, the list would benefit contractors, former commissioner Bert Valery pointed out. He also suggested that city employees patronize local restaurants and laundromats.
“It’s good business to keep that spending in town,” he said.
Valery, who owns a local insurance agency, has championed the concept of buying locally.
“I have five to 10 employees that live here,” he said, adding, “That’s millions over the years.”
While favoring the plan, the mayor cautioned that he would be uncomfortable if the proposal added cost to the city’s taxpayers. Johnson said he would prefer using a system that awards contracts to local businesses only as a tie breaker.
Valery acknowledged the “tie breaker” approach, yet maintained it was more important to keep the spending local.
“If buying locally costs 5 to 10 percent extra, I’m OK with that,” he told the commission.
City staff plans to query other communities in the area regarding their preferred vendor strategy.
“Some community’s use the system,” Coward said, “others don’t.”
