Ventnor Commissioners Kriebel, Landgraf and Mayor Holtzman will soon confront an awkward, yet critical issue regarding ice cream sales on the beach. Should Ventnor continue it’s long-standing tradition of Vets-only for beach ice-cream sales? Or should Ventnor cash in, and sell ice-cream rights to the highest bidder. This would potentially pull in anywhere from $50,000 to $75,000 in revenue…. or more.
Listen: King Arthur Radio talks Ventnor Ice Cream. Note: Ventnor Commisioners meeting is THURSDAY MARCH 8.
From what Commissioner Kriebel has shared so far, he prefers to auction off the ice-cream permit, whereas Mayor Holtzman and Commissioner Landgraf want to keep things as is.
Ventnor City Hall is expected to have a crowd on Thursday March 8th, as commissioners will have this issue on their agenda.
Ventnor Considers More Profitable, Beach Ice-Cream Vendor Auction
Discussions became more serious about beach ice-cream starting last summer. Ventnor’s City Clerk and the Chief of Police had to mediate multiple, ongoing disputes between beach vending license holders. In some cases, police officers had to break things up on the beach. There were public complaints of disputes breaking out in front of families, between competing ice cream vendors. Yikes.
During Summer 2017, Ventnor Police Chief, Doug Biagi, received regular reports:
- Vendors disregarded mobile requirement of ordinance. Set up at least 3 stationary tent ‘storefronts’ with signage & flags.
- Disputes between vendors over territories and behavior.
- Vendors disregarded the ordinance by selling water.
- Vendors disregarded dress code
- Vendors disregarded code of conduct in general.
As Tim Kriebel, Commissioner of Public Safety for Ventnor discussed these issues with Chief Biagi, they looked at the vending license process in other coastal towns. What they found: most seashore communities auction off their licenses to the highest bidder.
If an ice-cream vendor auction is adopted by Ventnor Commissioners, this brings in significantly more revenue to the City.
The winning bidder would also manage the ice-cream vendors, and would handle any disputes that might arise.
Currently, Ventnor contracts the ice cream vendor licenses to four veterans that live in Ventnor. Eleven additional veterans who live outside of Ventor, are also licensed with the City. Each vendor pays just $55 for an annual license. Ventnor receives total ice-cream license revenue of just $825 per summer.
Let’s compare Ventnor to other shore towns, who prefer to auction off their vendor license.
Summer 2017 Beach Ice Cream Revenues:
- Sea Isle City $251,000.
- Wildwood Crest $217,500.
- Wildwood $108,000.
- Margate $85,000.
- Stone Harbor $75,000.
- Longport $30,000.
The following towns sell licenses directly to vendors:
Summer 2017 Beach Ice Cream Revenues:
- Ventnor – 15 licenses @ $55. each – Veterans only, for total of $825.
- North Wildwood – 7 licenses@ $120. each for total of $845.
- Brigantine – 5 permits @ $100. each – Veterans only for total of $500.
- Atlantic City – 125 licenses @ $50 each – Veterans only for total of $6,250.
Commissioner Tim Kriebel: Believes administration has responsibility to improve process and policies of all departments. Find new revenue in the face of increasing annual costs. The current ice cream vending process benefits four Ventnor residents and eleven non-residents. If we adopt the process used by most neighboring municipalities, we can raise thousands of dollars every year. That will benefit all Ventnor taxpayers.
Kriebel: I suspect Mayor Holtzman and Commissioner Landgraf will not be in favor of putting ice cream out to bid as I propose. However given the data, I believe discussion was and still is warranted. At the end of the day, there may not be any change to current way of doing things, but an education of the facts is critical and discussions are always beneficial.
Before any decision or ordinance change is made, I encourage stakeholders and residents to discuss this topic during the March 8th Ventnor City Workshop with Chief Biagi and me, or email me at tkriebel@ventnorcity.org.
Finally, this discussion is tied to veterans because this ordinance historically singles them out as the only eligible candidates.
To call the alternative of a single bidder auction, myself for proposing it, or anyone in this administration unpatriotic in some way for discussing it… is false. It would also imply the other six nearby municipalities that do so year after year are anti-veteran as well and that would be untrue.
We can all agree veterans deserve our respect. Hardworking taxpayers deserve our support as well. I encourage you all to join the discussion as we as a community and commission make this decision.
Tim Kriebel
Commissioner of Public Safety
Let the veterans only sales stand. God knows they have earned it. 85,000 dollars per year is a small price to pay for what these men have done for our country. Auction off a license and you will see icream prices on the beach more than double. Does everything have to be about the almighty dollar ?
Let the Veterans hold the licenses. They work hard in the summer and it’s unfair to take this income source away from them. Many of us have known some since we were kids and now our kids and grandchildren know them, all by first name.
Also, I believe that their business suffered grately last summer due to the beach construction, which only made their job more difficult.
I think if the Mayor and other city officials will be open to residents suggestions, the city can raise the $85,000 revenue. Leave our ice cream vendors alone please.
Veterans of Ventnor fought for OUR country and OUR freedom to enjoy THE beach in the U.S.A. They FOUGHT for our RIGHTS to sit on our beaches in this free country, now I will fight for their RIGHTS to sell us ice cream!!! Come on, these veterans deserve the right to this small income. Stop comparing yourselves to other beaches, because this IS the beauty if Ventnor, we CARE about our veterans. Stop making it about money and give respect to the men who fought for our country and gave you the freedom to make your own money in this country! Leave the veterans alone!!!