I am the owner of a downtown Frederick retail giftshop, and I would like to thank the council for creating this draft policy update and for creating what I think is a very fair update that accounts for the feedback from all stakeholders. As a business owner, it has been challenging to watch my sales plummet as out-of-state for-profit groups come in and rent the creek on peak weekends, pulling revenue away from small businesses and our community. The businesses in downtown Frederick create a lot of growth, representation and potential for the community as a whole, and so I am glad that the council is seriously considering the concerns we have surrounding losing our hard-earned revenue to out-of-state groups who do not support our city and who frequently also do not act in the best interest of the vendors they showcase. I particularly support Section 6D of the draft update which limits a Tier 4 or 5 group from renting the creek more than twice a year. I think this will go a long way towards protecting our downtown brick & mortar businesses. As a downtown resident, I am also glad to see that the draft updated policy will reserve time for Carroll Creek linear park to just be a community space, as it grows tiring to constantly be dodging tents and crowds when I am just trying to enjoy the creek. Thank you so much for your consideration of this policy change and for listening to the concerns of downtown residents and business owners.
I am the owner of a downtown Frederick retail giftshop, and I would like to thank the council for creating this draft policy update and for creating what I think is a very fair update that accounts for the feedback from all stakeholders. As a business owner, it has been challenging to watch my sales plummet as out-of-state for-profit groups come in and rent the creek on peak weekends, pulling revenue away from small businesses and our community. The businesses in downtown Frederick create a lot of growth, representation and potential for the community as a whole, and so I am glad that the council is seriously considering the concerns we have surrounding losing our hard-earned revenue to out-of-state groups who do not support our city and who frequently also do not act in the best interest of the vendors they showcase. I particularly support Section 6D of the draft update which limits a Tier 4 or 5 group from renting the creek more than twice a year. I think this will go a long way towards protecting our downtown brick & mortar businesses. As a downtown resident, I am also glad to see that the draft updated policy will reserve time for Carroll Creek linear park to just be a community space, as it grows tiring to constantly be dodging tents and crowds when I am just trying to enjoy the creek. Thank you so much for your consideration of this policy change and for listening to the concerns of downtown residents and business owners.