HOLMES BEACH – Concerns about advertising and logos placed on rented beach cabanas have been addressed to the mayor’s satisfaction and the city is not taking any additional steps to regulate cabana rentals.
At the request of Commissioner Carol Whitmore, cabana rentals and commercial beach activities were discussed during the Holmes Beach commission’s July 25 meeting as a follow-up to a previous discussion Mayor Judy Titsworth initiated on June 24.
During the June meeting, Titsworth said city’s code compliance officers asked the beach cabana rental companies to remove all advertisements and signage from their cabanas because the city’s sign ordinance prohibits advertising on the beach. The cabana companies were given until June 27 comply. Titsworth also expressed concerns about some cabana rental companies staking out prime beach areas by setting up cabanas that had not been reserved and in advance offering them for rent, and about commercial activity on public lands in general.
When the July 25 discussion began, Whitmore said she wanted to get a better understanding of how the cabana rental companies operate. She also questioned whether the city’s sign ordinance could be amended to assist businesses that provide a beneficial service to beachgoers.
“I think we’re trying to fix a problem that’s not broken,” Commission Chair Dan Diggins said. “I don’t like the idea of putting all these restrictions on people. We don’t do this to the golf cart folks. We don’t do it to Uber Eats. We don’t do it to anybody else, so why would we do it here? It’s a thriving business. They provide a great service to the community and tourism. The equipment is outstanding and most of it’s better than the crap people buy at Walmart and leave in the trash container or leave on the beach for somebody else to clean up.”
Regarding her previously stated beach advertising concerns, Titsworth said, “It’s fixed. We don’t have an issue with renting equipment and putting it on the beach. It was the signs. We have a sign ordinance that doesn’t allow advertising on the beach. They just can’t stake out ground ahead of time with their signs and QR codes saying, ‘rent me.’ ”
When addressing the many cabana company owners and employees in attendance, Titsworth said, “You can ruin something by too much of a good thing and I think we’ve all seen that. It’s one thing to have one cabana company that promises not to advertise and start putting stuff out (unreserved). It’s another thing when you walk the beach and see every single company with tents galore. Get rid of the advertising. We’re OK if you’re out there, but the minute you take it too far we’re going to have residents saying ban all tents on the beach. Everyone needs to try to reel it in. Let’s try not to graffiti the beaches.”
Commissioner Terry Schaefer said, “There’s never been opposition to the service. The whole issue was about advertising and pre-placement.”
He noted at least one cabana rental company was recorded placing unreserved cabanas on the beach.
“Not only do I see a benefit, I see providers who really want to engage,” Commissioner Steve Oelfke said.
He questioned if there’s more the city can do to ensure that those who have insurance and properly secure their cabanas aren’t negatively impacted by those who don’t. He also suggested a future commission work session discussion about the bigger issue of commerce on the beach and how to possibly preempt future unwanted beach commerce activities.
“I’m not touching that sign ordinance,” Commissioner Carol Soustek said, and she agreed with Oelfke about a beach commerce work session discussion and discussing how other coastal cities address those activities.
During public input, My Beach Concierge owner Perry Heldreth restated some comments he made a day earlier at the Anna Maria city commission meeting. He said the cabana rental company he and his wife Rebecca operate island-wide has a business license, a retail sales certificate, a multi-million dollar liability policy and workers’ compensation insurance.
“We try to do everything aboveboard,” he said.
Heldreth said the My Beach Concierge logo is nationally trademarked, similar to Tommy Bahama, and he questioned whether that allows their logo to remain on their Holmes Beach cabanas.
When addressing that question later, Development Services Director Chad Minor said, “If it’s commercial advertising, by ordinance, it’s prohibited on our beach.”
Unable to wait for the cabana discussion because she had to get to her full-time job in Tampa, AMI Cabanas owner Sarah Moreno spoke during general public comment at beginning of the meeting. Moreno said she’s an Island native and AMI Cabanas is a family business with only 10 cabanas. She supports de-branding rented cabanas and requiring cabana rental companies to be licensed and insured.
“There are some yahoos out there doing it wrong,” she said. “We are an LLC. We’re licensed. We have insurance. We do it right and we just ask that we are able to continue do it right.”
Related coverage:
Commercial activity on Anna Maria beaches prohibited
Beach cabana rentals under scrutiny
Mayor concerned about beach cabana rentals
