Rev ’em up; let ’em roll

Don’t let the naysayers chase Thunder by the Bay out of downtown. The festival’s departure would be a loss for the entire community.

By Matt Walsh
| 6:00 a.m. January 21, 2016

Sarasota
Opinion

Isn’t that a wonderful sight?

Thunder by the Bay.

Look at all those people gathered in our city, in our downtown — close to 100,000, nearly 60% of them from out of town … bringing into the city more than an $8 million jolt to the economy … and generating $150,000 for Suncoast Charities for Children.

Oh, by the way, Suncoast Charities is that Sarasota institution that also organizes and puts on — for free to the public — the Powerboat Grand Prix and the Holiday Boat Parade of Lights.

And yet, of course, there are a few scolds who want to chase Thunder by the Bay out of town.

Referendum vote: Change and hope

It was another unexpected, pleasant surprise and reason to be increasingly hopeful for the city:

City commissioners voted 3-2 Tuesday in favor of ballot language for a referendum that would move the city’s election day. If approved, it would move Sarasota city elections from the spring and summer of odd years to coincide with state and national elections in November of even-numbered years. Shocker.

Followers of the City Commission know resistance to this change has been near impenetrable. Indeed, the long-standing spring-time vote has seemed like a well-defended conspiracy of the Old Guard Insiders to keep control of City Hall. And the more they could discourage people from voting, the better their chances of the status quo.

Just look at the vote on Tuesday. Old Guard: Mayor Willie Shaw and Commissioner Susan Chapman. New Guard: Commissioners Liz Alpert and Shelli Freeland Eddie. We’d call Vice Mayor Suzanne Atwell, a longtime commission veteran, an advocate for forward-thinking reform, but one who was frequently squished.

We can’t wait to see what the New Guard will do next.

At the top of that list: the ever-chipper Commissioner Susan Chapman. “It’s an economic driver if you want to only have bars and honky tonks,” she said — insulting all 90,000-plus people who attended this year’s 18th annual event. Way to go, commissioner.

Go ahead; do it. Run Thunder by the Bay out of town. Then see what happens to Sarasota.

For those who have been here for a decade or more, it has taken at least a decade for Sarasota County commissioners and the past five years for Mark Huey and his staff at the Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota County to hose down the reputation and reality that Sarasota County is a nasty place to try to do business.

Think what would happen if Commissioner Chapman and others succeeding in chasing Thunder by the Bay out of town. People don’t forget lousy hospitality — they rarely, if ever, come back.

OK, big events like Thunder by the Bay or the Chalk Festival (another event scorned) are an inconvenience for some. Business owners on Palm Avenue and some of the restaurant owners on and around lower Main Street say Thunder by the Bay hurts their sales for the weekend and think it may be time to move the event’s main gathering place away from downtown.

Those effects occur in every city that hosts a large event. You can always find a few businesses that don’t benefit. In fact, that’s a common comment about art festivals and other events on St. Armands Circle.

But such complaints bring to mind the old story about the two shoe salesmen assigned to sell shoes in a town where no one wore shoes. One of the salesman was devastated. “How can I possibly make a living?” he said, while the other saw the assignment as the greatest opportunity ever. “What a gold mine!”

The challenge for those businesses that struggle is how to turn Thunder by the Bay into a business opportunity.

Likewise, the organizers of Thunder by the Bay have a similar challenge: How to keep the event manageable and growing; how to make the event a positive for as many people as possible — the motorcyclists, the local businesses and Sarasota residents.

To an extent, that goes without saying. Thunder by the Bay Executive Director Lucy Nicandri is a local pro at organizing these events, and she constantly looks for ways to improve. But she can’t be a one-woman show. Collaboration and communication with all of the affected constituencies will be crucial, constructive and effective as the event continues to grow and evolve.

Losing or chasing Thunder by the Bay out of town would be a huge mistake. The benefits to Sarasota far outweigh the costs and inconveniences. Indeed, to an extent, this event is no different than having the thousands of snowbirds who descend on Sarasota during the winter season.

In spite of the temporary increase in traffic, their spending — and that of the Thunder by the Bay visitors — helps keep our businesses prospering and taxes lower than they would otherwise be. What’s more, Thunder by the Bay helps add a rumbling vibrancy to a city that can always use some revving up.