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John G

Beach Fanatic
Jul 16, 2014
1,803
553
As Andy A mentioned....My preference would be to ban the vendors from public beaches, too. They are out of control. All these umbrellas and chairs take the prime locations on the beach and then they sit there all day long unoccupied.

Another option short of a complete ban would be to ban any chair & Umbrella set-ups before they are purchased AND occupied. And enforce immediate removal once they become unoccupied or not in use. No more staking out all of the beach in the hops of selling some chairs. One vendor per beach - have them bid on the rights, pricing, limits on the number of chairs, etc.

YES!

You are right on with this. Just like any major undertaking, people take bids (three is usual) and they also provide proof of insurance, workers comp (when appropriate) and other proof of running an actual business. (Do these vendors all pay taxes?)

Beach Chairs are a cash business and lots of it. $$$

The vendor should secure their customers and then provide their chairs. You don't advertise your product by putting up a unoccupied chair and then refuse to move it when someone comes with their own chair.

If they are going to vend on a Public Beach you should "pay the entry fee". Beach Vendors already "pay the entry fee" to the condos that give them the exclusive vending rights by giving them the permit (Adagio and others). Why can vendors pay a private entity but expect the Public Beach to be a freebe?

Call it Socialist or Draconian, I don't care. Some Beach Chair Vendors are making a bad name for themselves.
 

miznotebook

Beach Fanatic
Jul 8, 2009
962
603
Stone's throw from Inlet Bch
thanks for the try

That's OK, sorry it did not work when you tried.
I got the document off the county commission agenda for the March 10 meeting. It is on the county web site, www.co.walton.fl.us. Under "Government," you click on Agendas and Minutes, then on Agendas, Minutes, Live and Archived Meeting Video..., and then select the agenda corresponding with the date March 10. Links for the ordinance revisions and other information on vending are near the top of the page.
 

steel1man

Beach Fanatic
Jan 10, 2013
2,291
659
That's OK, sorry it did not work when you tried. I got the document off the county commission agenda for the March 10 meeting. It is on the county web site, www.co.walton.fl.us. Under "Government," you click on Agendas and Minutes, then on Agendas, Minutes, Live and Archived Meeting Video..., and then select the agenda corresponding with the date March 10. Links for the ordinance revisions and other information on vending are near the top of the page.
thanks. Found pictures with the vendor sections in red outline. Looks like they split public beach accesses in half or close.
 

Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,068
1,973
Other Florida beach communities have beach vendor rules and regulations. It is not unreasonable, nor is it re-inventing the wheel to put into place. I guarantee that the majority of citizens and visitors would like to see some improvement in this beach vendor business that has run amok in South Walton, to the detriment of tooo many people's enjoyment of our PUBLIC beaches. Maybe I can set up shop in a public place and not pay rent or follow any rules too.
 

Zebraspots

Beach Fanatic
May 15, 2008
840
247
Santa Rosa Beach
I read the proposed changes to the ordinance. Long overdue and not at all unreasonable IMO.
 
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