Rehoboth commissioners debate future of Main Street

Rehoboth Beach Main Street is slated to dissolve in March, but its founding president hopes to keep the organization afloat.

Rehoboth Commissioner Kathy McGuiness began the discussion on the future of Main Street at the commissioners’ Feb. 6 workshop, noting she had heard from constituents and merchants who she said were unaware that Main Street was closing its doors. Main Street’s board of directors decided to dissolve the organization in May, with its primary functions to be taken over by the city.

Main Street had received $30,000 to $40,000 per year in city funding and had offices in city-owned space behind the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center. McGuiness said some Main Street board members told her the city no longer wanted Main Street, but she said Rehoboth looks like it does thanks in large part to Main Street’s efforts.

Mayor Sam Cooper made it clear that while he had no objection to Main Street operating as a member-based organization, it would no longer receive city financial support.

“Quite frankly, I’d been embarrassed over the years at what Main Street had become. It’s been politicized,” he said.

During the workshop, Cooper blamed McGuiness for politicizing Main Street, saying an organization that accepts support from the city should not be involving itself in city political affairs. Cooper was referring to a contentious 2010 debate over noise emanating from restaurants, when some restaurants said they were singled out for harsh enforcement. He said Main Street had spoken on behalf of certain restaurants during public hearings, which Cooper said was inappropriate.

“There were meetings where I thought the representation was embarrassing for any organization,” Cooper said. “It’s been so politicized in a way that it should not have been. It was wrong. I was probably wrong for not speaking up publicly at the time.”

Cooper’s comments capped a discussion of the commissioners’ role in resolving Main Street’s problems. Bolstering McGuiness’s effort to revive Main Street was Diane Laird of the Delaware Economic Development Office, who made a presentation on the value of Main Street organizations, the recognition the Rehoboth Main Street has received and the difficulties of setting up a different 501c3 group.  Laird said Main Street is an effective tool to promote downtown businesses.

Cooper said the future of Main Street lies with its board, and he won’t oppose it if someone wants to pick up its charter. Commissioners Toni Sharp and Patrick Gossett questioned why this matter was being brought to the commissioners, and they both suggested that if people want to resurrect Main Street, they should go to its board and figure out how to proceed.

When Laird asked about facilitiating a meeting on a transition of the Main Street board, Sharp said, “That’s not our role.”

“I’m a little unsure why this conversation is happening here and not on the outside,” Commissioner Stan Mills said.

Trey Kraus, owner of Carlton’s, said there was no input from the membership prior to the announcement of Main Street’s dissolving. He said the city needs an organization that can support the specific needs of downtown businesses. Kraus said he would volunteer to keep Main Street alive and assured the commissioners he could put together a board that could operate without city funding and would not take sides with individual businesses.

“I think that would be great,” Cooper said.

After the meeting, Fay Jacobs, longtime executive director of Main Street, said she would love to help reincarnate the organization. She said the board’s decision to let Main Street go out of business was the wrong one. Jacobs also said she understands the city’s decision not to financially support Main Street, but she believes it can function as a stand-alone nonprofit.

“I’d love to see it survive,” she said.

Commissioners to vote on taking over fireworks

One of Main Street’s biggest events was the annual Fourth of July fireworks show, and while the city has vowed to pick up sponsorship of the show, the commissioners agreed to take a vote to formalize the transfer of responsibility.

No date for the vote was set.

Main Street had raised enough money to keep the show going for three to four more years. The show is contracted to Zambelli Fireworks Internationale on a year-to-year basis. Cooper said while he fully supports continuing the show, he wanted to figure out a way to allow people to donate to the fireworks without the city soliciting donations to avoid raising concern over conflicts of interest.

Zellers recommended developing a policy that would protect the city from any appearance of quid pro quo.