RALLY to SAVE THE BEACH GUY
PLEASE attend the RALLY to SAVE THE BEACH GUY on Saturday, April 9th at 10:00 a.m. at Englewood Beach. SIGNS WILL BE PROVIDED. Park in the parking lot nearest the circle as you get on the Key. Gather on the beach where the Beach Guy rents his beach stuff just beyond the machine where you pay to park.
Write, e-mail, or call the Charlotte County Commissioners and Governor Scott’s office to Save the Beach Guy! Contact information is below.
Charlotte County Commissioners’ Office Phone: 941-743-1300
Chairman Bill Truex (Englewood District): Bill.Truex@CharlotteCountyFL.gov
Commissioner Ken Doherty Ken.Doherty@CharlotteCountyFL.gov
Commissioner Chris Constance Chris.Constance@CharlotteCountyFL.gov
Commissioner Stephen Deutsch StephenR.Deutsch@CharlotteCountyFL.gov
Commissioner Tricia Duffy Tricia.Duffy@CharlotteCountyFL.gov
Governor Scott’s Office Phone: 850-717-9249 or 850-488-5603
To E-Mail the Governor, go to: http://www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/email-the-governor/
Fill out contact form and message.
Hello Friends of the Beach Guy:
If you have been to Englewood Beach in the past 3 years, you have probably met The Beach Guy. He is the friendly vendor who says hi to everyone and rents chairs and umbrellas to the hundreds of visitors and locals who come to Charlotte County for our beautiful beaches. We rent to seniors and disabled who depend on the service or otherwise can’t come to the beach at all. We rent to vacationers who do not want to buy chairs and umbrellas for their one-week stay. And we rent to people who simply like the convenience of renting $2/day chairs and $8/day umbrellas. We have been doing this for the past 3 years, using ATVs to take the chairs, loungers, and umbrellas to and from our customers’ spot on the beach because of the large area we service. No one wants to carry their chairs and umbrellas along with their coolers, towels, and beach toys.
We have NEVER had an incident with our ATV. It is physically impossible to provide the service without using the 4-wheeler. The job is brutal even WITH the ATV. People have come to DEPEND on and LOVE our service. Now here comes the county — all of the sudden they decide we will no longer be allowed to use any motorized vehicles on the beach to take our products to our customers. They provided us with paperwork showing a law that states, “Generally, motorized vehicles are not allowed on the beach”. We know that beach towns all over the state simply grant an “exception” for motorized vehicles that are providing a human service. So, as of April 24th, we will not be allowed to do business as we have for the past 3 years. We will soon go out of business because it is impossible to do without motorized help, PERIOD!
We started out with 10 umbrellas, 20 lounge chairs. Over the 3 years, we have grown to 50 umbrellas, 50 lounge chairs and over 200 chairs. We still need more some days. We have done this while signing a MONTH-TO-MONTH LEASE with the county. They would never approve a longer contract term. Can you imagine putting your whole livelihood on the line with one man month to month? A very insecure feeling. This business has grown in spite of the county. We have never been embraced for the good we do, ever! We are the eyes and ears of the beach being there 7 days a week, 365 days a year weather permitting. Not once were we ever invited to any meetings concerning the beach.
So, three people — two females and one man — have it out for The Beach Guy. We know who they are. These lower level government employees are no strangers to this website. They have been written up although one never agrees ” to the write up.” Even after wasting taxpayer dollars (over $20,000, I hear) one got a promotion. They are the worst representation of OUR COUNTY . . . OUR COUNTY not the government’s!!! The way this one woman hollers at the public is inexcusable. In the real world, the private sector, ALL 3 of them would have been fired long ago!
I have reached out to our commissioner to no avail and Ray Sandrock, through his secretary, said there is nothing to discuss.
In a state where the Governor promotes JOBS and tourism, our little branch of Charlotte County has their own agenda. The term something is rotten in Denmark, seems to be fitting here.
— Susan Bledsoe
