TRAVERSE CITY — City commissioners postponed voting on whether to pull back some peddler fee increases.
It's the latest turn in a summer-long debate over transient merchant fees, which will double in Traverse City commercial areas starting Sept. 15.
The commission agreed in July to hike those fees from $50 to $100 daily during the busy summer season and from $50 to $100 weekly the rest of the year. Officials cited a desire to level competition between peddlers and property tax-paying businesses and the city's cost to issue licenses. Others contend the fee bump squashes start-up businesses and hinders efforts to create a thriving, food-friendly atmosphere.
Commissioners on Monday considered modifying the upcoming fee hike to give a break to food vendors who operate in commercial areas outside the downtown. But commissioners had too many questions, including if the proposal includes residential areas. They decided to wait until the Sept. 4 meeting to vote on repealing the upcoming rate hike for those food vendors who set up outside the Downtown Development Authority district.
Support for food vendors continues to grow. Eric Patterson, chef at The Cooks' House on Wellington Street, told commissioners food towns need street vendors.
"A good street-food scene is vital to making this work," he said. "Most chefs like myself love good street vendors."
Peddlers make a city vibrant and full of interesting, enjoyable surprises, said Ann Rogers, of Traverse City.
"It's the street life that makes the city," she told commissioners. "You turn a corner, and there's serendipity there."
The commission, if it acts in early September, still can scale back some rates before the scheduled fee increases occur.
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Peddler fee vote postponed
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