OCEAN CITY — Resort officials this week approved the one and only bid for one of the two available beach photography franchises that came in slightly over the minimum acceptable bid.
Continuing a theme prevalent throughout Monday’s meeting, the Mayor and Council approved the bid for one of two beach photography franchises. Earlier in the meeting, the council learned there was only one bid for the town’s vehicle vending franchise and that the results of the recent auction for the north-end beach equipment bidding revealed only single bidders in a majority of the 18 parcels up for bid in the current cycle.
Ocean City’s beach photography franchise is essentially divided into two separate contracts and under the town’s code, one vendor can hold both franchises. By way of background, the beach photography franchise holder sends photographers, better known as “scopers,” on the beach each day in the summer to solicit residents and visitors to capture vacation memories through telescope-style pictures and other digital options. The two franchises are not divided geographically, but rather limit the number of photographers allowed on the beach to 15 each day.
The franchises are renewed every four years and the same vendor has held both of the town’s franchises for the last eight years. The current contract expired at the end of November and a new four-year contract was offered for both.
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12 comments:
It's a black eye for O.C. I have often stated on this blog that OC in general is taboo. OC officials went from 300,000 minimum bid to 150,000 minimum bid and STILL ONLY HAD 1 VENDOR REPLY. My advice, if I were the sole bidder I would pull out. He's been huckstered.
Personally, I and try and stay clear of Ocean City. It's simply to perilous to visit. Most of the municipal workers are what I consider to be hardened criminals.
No one should be required to have a franchise period. It's a violation of your 1st amendment. Okay let's look at it another way. Maybe our federal government ought to consider pulling all BEACH REPLENTISHMENT FUNDING in retaliation for OC officials requiring such franchising non-sense. I agree with some of the above commenters.
I'll tell you something else that most people don't know, the OC beach stand bids also dramatically declined for beach parcels. IMHO people are simply fed-up with Ocean City's shenanigens. That's yet another municipal money grubbing exercise used to scam the public.
OC's business climate is pathedic. It's much bigger than you think. Even the Ice Cream truck bids have dwindled. Plain-and-simple, OC officials are professional swindlers.
To 12:30 -
Frankly I'm surprised that it went for that much, or that it even had a bid at all. EVERYONE has a camera today!
The only buyers of 'scopes are those looking for the nostalgia of past photos in that format.
Also, to 12:36 -
"Perilous"? That's ridiculous.
Name for me another city in Maryland - or the mid-Atlantic region for that matter - that has a daily seasonal average population of over 300,000 people with a lower crime rate.
A quarter-of-a-million people on a 12-mile strip of land generate close to ZERO serious crimes.
Perilous? I think not.
With the advent of cell phone cameras, the profits have gone way down.
Hardened criminals, are you for real 12:36 ??
I go to Ocean City all the time & have never felt in danger there, not once.
To 2:07 poster regarding your definition of perilious.
Yu missed 12:36's point. It's not the public crime rate that 12:36 is referring to. It's the municipal employees that are imposing and enforcing the burdensome fees, penalties, and taxes. You've obviously missed 12:36's point.
I make an honest effort to try and avoid OC because of the exhorbitant high costs associated with virtually everything - (food, entertainment, and governmental regulations - especially fees, taxes, fines).
Perilous. Especially those from PA.
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