Fred Chang’s Newsclips

Note: It is nice to see that this issue is getting aired. I personally favor a different location such as the Bay Street Boat launch. It would still be visible, but should not affect nearby merchants.
-FC

By Aaron Burkhalter
Mar 30 2007

The Port Orchard City Council will permit organizers of the Fathoms o’Fun Association to continue the annual carnival, but not without some objections from downtown merchants.

Officials of the yearly event, which generates revenue for the Fathoms o’Fun Fourth of July fireworks display, arrived at Monday’s regular council meeting to find a written complain from Mallory Jackson, president of the Port Orchard Bay Street Association and owner of Custom Picture Framing.

In previous years, the carnival has “negatively impacted” businesses in downtown Port Orchard, according to Jackson’s letter. Jackson also added complaints about parking, garbage on the street and security concerns.

The letter said the 2006 carnival resulted in a loss of revenue to area shops, littering along Bay Street, vandalism and shoplifting.

The letter did not seek any direct action from the council, other than requesting that it discuss the concerns at the meeting.

The letter cited a survey distributed after the 2006 carnival.

Organizers of the event disputed these complaints, and said that they were unaware of these problems previously.

Police Chief Alan Townsend added that the police department did not receive calls regarding any of the listed complaints.

Alan Mahaney, chairman for the Fathoms o’Fun committee, said the committee had not seen the surveys and believed the carnival had been discussed with the Bay Street Association already without complaint.

He said he felt “blind-sided” by the letter and that it seemed to come rather suddenly.

“To me, it’s a political move to try to put everything off track,” Mahaney said Wednesday. “I don’t think it should’ve happened.”

Jackson sent the letter to the council members and members of the Bay Street Association on Sunday, after hearing about the event the prior Friday.

She said the complaints arrived late because the Downtown Merchants Association did not know it would be discussed at the meeting.

Since the meeting, Jackson has gathered copies of the survey to distribute to the council, the police chief and other interested parties.

According to the survey of 19 businesses, 10 saw a decrease in revenue ranging from 10 to 90 percent.

“Two weeks loss of revenue — that hits us hard,” Jackson said Wednesday.

Two businesses, including Myhre’s Restaurant and the Olde Central Antique Mall, reported an increase in revenue during the festival.

The surveys reiterated much of what Jackson wrote to the council — that parking, garbage and vandalism were concerns. Of the 19 businesses that filled out the survey, 17 said they saw an increase in vandalism, littering and loitering.

Jackson and other business owners previously altered their store hours during the festival. Jackson would frequently close the store for a vacation, assuming that most businesses liked or benefited from the carnival.

“I thought somebody had to benefit,” Jackson said, but after hearing from other businesses the merchants began discussing the issue.

Dennis Lei, owner of the Puget Sound Wine Cellar said that he voiced the same complaints at a City Council meeting in 2006.

Lei and Jackson both refuted Mahaney’s statement that he did not know of these problems previously. They said the survey was discussed at a meeting in August, and the Fathoms of Fun Committee knew of the problems at that time.

Lei’s concern is not the carnival, but the financial hit the merchants take each year. He would like to seek an alternative that raises money for the Fourth of July fireworks display and does not hurt local businesses.

“Our only position is we need to work together and help them raise money for fireworks in such a way that it does not negatively impact our business,” Lei said.

Jackson suggested a shorter carnival could lessen the loss of revenue.

“It’s not the carnival itself,” Jackson said. “It’s the week-long carnival.”

Although Mahaney said he was surprised and disappointed by the complaints, he said he would continue to work with the downtown businesses in the future to prevent the littering and security problems. Additionally, this year’s carnival will take up less space along the waterfront, opening up more parking behind Amy’s On The Bay.

“They’ll see a lot more presence down by the carnival to make sure this stuff doesn’t happen,” Mahaney said.

© Copyright 2007 Port Orchard Independent