Commissioner considering another way to boost revenue

WILDWOOD — Could beach bars be the answer to the city’s revenue woes?

Mayor ErnieTroiano said that the city has ruled out beach tags for this summer and wouldn’t move forward on the issue unless it was put to a public vote, but the mayor said he was talking with the area’s tourism officials about other ways to generate revenue from the beaches.

Commissioner Pete Byron, head of revenue and finance, said the city’s wide stretch beach offers unique potential in many forms such beach bars or cabanas.

Wildwood has 56 retail liquor licenses and about eight are inactive. The city also has two club licenses, five motel/hotel licenses and six liquor distribution licenses.

But the city has never explored bars on beach.

The plan would involve leasing city-owned beach space to private businesses that already have liquor licenses or having the city obtain a concessionaire's license, then bring in a beach bar operator.

The city is also looking into cabanas for rent, beach boxes for and allowing recreational vehicles park on the beach.

Byron said the city has been talking with the state Department of Environmental Protection to find out which of the revenue-generating ideas can be put in place this year.

The city has already approved permits for horseback riding in the off-season. Commissioners have also approved new fees for beach events under an ordinance that requires a $1,500 fee for a single-day event to $2,500 for multiple-day events. In addition, camping on the beach for those events will come with an added cost of $10 per tent.

Wildwood has until March 14 to introduce their 2012 budget and by that time, city officials expect to know if they can institute another revenue source, like beach bars.

 

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