- April 25, 2024
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The bait shop at the Flagler Beach pier will close on June 1.
The Flagler Beach City Commission decided at an April 13 to close the shop after City Manager Mike Abels presented a cost-benefit report to the commission.
The analysis showed that that the shop has been running at a deficit and is only projected to make $7,700 in the first five months of 2023.
Its expenses in that time frame are projected to total $31,553, costing the city’s general fund $23,838.
The commission unanimously voted to close the store starting on June 1, while the pier remains closed.
At a May 3 meeting, the City Commission will discuss whether to rent out the space after the bait shop closes.
Commissioner Scott Spradley said some people may have argued that the bait shop is still being used while the pier is closed. But, he said, the analysis doesn’t support that.
“These numbers that we are looking at offer a stark contrast in how much traffic there is over there,” Spradley said. “It’s not being used.”
The pier closed in 2022 because of damage from the two hurricanes and other storms.
The bait shop — which sells bait, souvenirs and fishing supplies — is an enterprise fund business and was directly impacted by the lack of visitors at the closed pier.
A government enterprise fund is meant to operate a business that can support itself, City Attorney Drew Smith said.
But the bait shop, according to the city’s cost-benefit analysis, has historically been subsidized by the city’s general fund.
The general fund subsidy is estimated to increase because of the pier closure, according to the analysis.
In 2019, the store made $112,192, but expenses were $82,866 higher than that, according to the analysis.
In 2022, the bait shop made $143,602, but costs exceeded revenue by $87,506.
The commission members seemed split on the idea of renting out the space for revenue over the next two years while the pier is being reconstructed.
Some commissioners wanted to explore the idea, while others were worried about the longterm effects of replacing the store, even temporarily.
Commissioner Rick Belhumeur suggested that this might be an opportunity to renovate the store and possibly turn it into more of a souvenir shop alongside a bait shop.
Commission Chair Eric Cooley and Commissioner Jane Mealy both said there is no harm in hearing out requests.
But at the same time, Cooley said, there are other concerns about having a business in that spot while the pier is under construction.
Commissioner James Sherman said the decision is not an emotional one.
“This is just something that we — as elected officials that are put here — we have to be fiscally responsible with our taxpayers’ money,” he said.
