One of the business people at Sauble Beach who is fed up with the parking fee is now going to offer a rebate.
Jeff Lobsinger — the owner of Lobby’s Restaurant — says he will give his customers 5 dollars out of his own pocket if they paid the municipal 10 dollar flat rate.
Lobsinger tells Bayshore Broadcasting News he wants visitors to feel welcome to Sauble.
Lobsinger says many people have expressed their frustration when the first thing they do is pay 10 dollars to park their vehicle — and he wants to change that.
Lobsinger — who has run the family owned restaurant for 16 years — admits it may cost him a lot of money, but he feels it’s an important gesture.
Lobsinger reports his business is down about 50 per cent this summer.
South Bruce Peninsula Council this week received a petition with more than a hundred names on it — asking for the rate to be reduced or even eliminated.
Lobsinger notes they also got written permission from Mayor Gwen Gilbert to have people call her on Sunday with their comments — and he says it worked very well.
The 75 business people were limited to only 10 minutes at Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting.
The municipality argues the parking money pays for the upkeep of the washrooms and the beach.
Lobsinger admits while 2 washrooms have been upgraded — there is still another that is a huge eyesore and the beach is cleaned by volunteers — not the town.
Lobsinger says he was hoping for better leadership from the Mayor and Council — especially with months of predictions about a downturn in the economy.
While Councillor Mark Wunderlich plans to bring up the parking issue at next Monday’s meeting — Lobsinger has heard the issue will be buried for two weeks.
And by then — Lobsinger says most of the summer will be over and the damage will be done.
