Rehoboth Main Street wins temporary funding

The Rehoboth Beach commissioners unanimously approved providing $20,000 in funding and office space to Rehoboth Beach Main Street as a temporary measure.

Main Street board Chairman Trey Kraus had asked for $50,000 in funding to help the organization be an accredited Main Street and to help hire an executive director. Mayor Paul Kuhns proposed $20,000 to get started and allowed them to use the city-owned office space currently used by the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce. The chamber is due to move out of that building in January and into the city-owned building at 306 Rehoboth Ave. Kuhns said permanent office space and annual funding would be considered when the commissioners begin budget talks Jan. 8. 

In addition, the city will give Main Street back its phone number, which had been taken over by the city’s Communications Department.

Main Street had announced last year that the organization would disband in March. However, a group of local business owners formed a transition board to keep Main Street alive until a new board could be selected. Kraus, in a presentation to the commissioners Nov. 6, said part of being an accredited Main Street required some form of municipal support, and needed an executive director. After Main Street announced its disbandment, former Mayor Sam Cooper said while he supported the idea of Main Street, the organization had become political and should not receive city funds if it was going to do political advocacy. 

Commissioner Kathy McGuiness, former Main Street president, said, “Our business community needs this.”

Kraus said, “We are not looking for anything new and different. It never did end. We are looking for the same commitment from the same city, the same levels of support to do the things we do. We’re not looking to take anything more than what has been provided.”

Commissioners Patrick Gossett and Stan Mills, while supportive of Main Street, said they wanted to see a more detailed schedule and plan going forward if the group is to receive annual funding.

Former Commissioner Walter Brittingham opposed the quick way the manner was brought to a vote.

“It’s just wrong the way you’re shoving this through,” he said.