Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 26, 2011 Page: 5 of 20
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Port Aransas South Jetty
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Thursday, May 26, 2011 5 A
Businesses anticipate profitable season
Continued from Page 1A
McMullin said the buzz is that
“Everybody I’ve talked to - busi-
ness people, condos, the wa-
terfront people - everybody is
feeling the makings of a banner
tourist season - perhaps the
best ever.”
“Its going to come down to
the weather cooperating - no
rainy spells or ‘tropical’ visitors,”
he said.
Hurricane Alex put the ki-
bosh to the 2010 Fourth of
July holiday, McMullin said.
A Fourth of July with good
weather would be a good plus
after Alex “took a lot of steam
qut” of the holiday last year,
McMullin said.
Looking past the summer,
McMullin said, “It feels good.
The off-season continues to
be stronger. Our challenge as
a community is to continue to
do creative things and events
in the fall. We need to think
outside of the box as we look to
put ‘shoulders’ on the season.
Short of these efforts, it seems
it (increased business during
the shoulder season) already is
happening compared to five to
10 years ago.”
Gas prices near $4 a gallon
also may work in favor of Port
Aransas. Vacationers in the Aus-
tin, San Antonio and Houston
areas may choose Port Aransas
over more distant destinations,
such as South Padre Island. That
border city may have lost some
of its appeal because of violence
on the nearby Mexican border,
McMullin speculated.
A “very strong” April is an
indication of a good summer,
according to long-time Port
Aransas businessman Mike
Hall, co-owner and store direc-
tor of the Family Center IGA.
Customer counts are up and
sales are up more than that,
Hall said.
It’s not just a
one-visit
vacation.
People are
saying they’re
coming back
multiple times.
Jim Gaw, owner
Nautical Wheelers
“We think (customers) are
still being frugal. The beverage
category is down from national
brands to sub-premiums,” he
noted.
Hall said the grocery store
is catering to two basic groups:
Locals who are being thrifty like
the rest of the country (which
includes him), and folks who
are here for a two or three day
vacation and are not being quite
as careful.
Hall was reluctant to speculate
beyond the summer, but he said
a good summer typically helps
the “holiday season,” which he
lumps together as Columbus
Day in October, Thanksgiving
in November and Christmas in
December.
“Those three holidays keep us
going, so I’m cautiously optimis-
tic. I think it’s going to be a good
year,” Hall said.
Next door to the IGA, Jim
Gaw at Nautical Wheelers,
which rents electric beach bug-
gies, said, “The general feeling
is that it appears the economic
outlook is picking up. Were
seeing perhaps a 10 to 15 per-
cent increase overall from last
year with only five months to
compare.”
That increase is against more
competition, with more beach
buggy/gas golf cart rentals
opening in town and an in-
crease in individuals buying the
carts for regular personal use.
Gaw said his customer count
is up and so is the attitude of
customers. The weather has
played a part in that, he said,
and he has not had as many
complaints about the springtime
influx of seaweed as he usually
does. He commended the city
for doing a good job maintain-
ing the beach.
It helped that Easter and
SandFest were a week apart,
he said, unlike last year when
they shared the same weekend.
(SandFest dates are set based
on tide charts after high tides
Staff photo by Murray Judson
It’s official
Deputy City Secretary Pam Hatzenbuehler administers the oath of office to council members
Charles Bujan, Place 3; Edwin Myers, Place 5; and Keith Donley, Place 1. The three were
elected in balloting May 14, and were sworn in before the council meeting Thursday, May
19, in the council chambers at city hall.
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Price elected pro tem
Council also addresses seaweed issues
Dan Parker
Reporter
The Port Aransas City
Council elected a new mayor
pro tem and discussed sea-
weed, city advisory boards
and the electrical substation
on State Hwy. 361, along with
other topics.
The actions were taken at
a meeting on Thursday, May
19.
The council unanimously
elected Councilman John Price
to the position of mayor pro
tem. The mayor pro tem acts
in the mayor’s place when the
mayor isnt available.
Council members welcomed
new council member Edwin
Myers to his first meeting.
Voters in city elections elected
Myers to Place 5 in an uncon-
tested race. He replaces Rick
Pratt, who received a plaque
during the meeting as thanks
for his six years of service dur-
ing three consecutive terms as
a council member. Term limits
prevented Pratt from running
again.
Keith Donley began his
third term as Place 1 council-
man after defeating challenger
Monte Sirmon. Councilman
Charles Bujan started his third
term in Place 5 after no one
filed to run against him.
In other action, the council
voted unanimously to change
city ordinances to allow a given
business to pay the city for Port
Aransas police use of patrol
vehicles when off-duty officers
provide traffic control for the
business.
The city made the move at
the request of AEP, the electri-
cal utility. AEP officials have
said they want Port Aransas
police to help out at the sub-
station on State Hwy. 361. A
major construction project is
ongoing at the site. Off-duty
officers will be paid directly by
AEP for their work, according
to police.
In related news, AEP rep-
resentative Howard Ashley
talked to the council about a
buildup of salt on outdoor elec-
trical equipment around town.
The accumulation, which took
place due to many weeks with-
out rain this year, has caused
power outages.
Recent rain helped the situa-
tion, but didn’t cure it, so AEP
will continue its recent practice
of washing down electrical
equipment with hoses, Ashley
said.
The council also voted unani-
mously to spend some money
on new equipment and person-
nel to begin maintaining nearly
a mile more of the beach than it
has handled before.
The city has worked out
an agreement with Nueces
County in which the city will
receive up to $ 129,000 a year to
clear the shore of seaweed and
maintain the beach roadway at
I.B. Magee Beach Park.
The city will buy a new
dump truck for $69,995 and
spend a total of $364,400 on
a front-end loader and a mo-
tor grader in a lease-purchase
arrangement, according to
Darla Honea, the city’s finance
director.
The city also will hire two
additional public works de-
partment employees to deal
with the extra mile of beach.
That will cost $21,611 for the
remainder of the year, Honea
said.
On the subject of sargassum,
the council voted to renew its
permit to continue disposing
of the seaweed at various es-
tablished sites within the dune
system along the length of
city beaches. The council also
decided to begin disposing of
sargassum at six additional sites
in the dunes.
In other action, the council
appointed Airport Board alter-
nate Paul Davis to be a board
member. The council voted to
bring Mark Creighton aboard
to be the alternate.
The council reappointed
Scott Holt, Lyndon Holcomb
and John Fucik to the city’s
Parks and Recreation Board.
Terms on both boards are
two years.
At the request of Council-
man Charles Bujan, the council
also talked about the possibility
of converting the city’s fleet
of vehicles to be powered by
natural gas. No decisions were
made on the issue, but the topic
is expected to come up again at
a goals meeting that the council
is planning to schedule this
summer, McMullin said.
The council also discussed
the question of whether to al-
low food vendors on the beach.
(See related story, this issue.)
Comments? Questions? Con-
tact Dan Parker at (361) 749-
5131 or dan@portasouthjetty.
com
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washed away many of the sculp-
tures at one of the first events.)
Customers are more positive,
friendlier, and there are lots
of families, Gaw said. He said
he’s had quite a few phone calls
about people coming back with
their kids.
“It’s not just a one-visit vaca-
tion. People are saying they’re
coming back multiple times,”
Gaw said.
Two-and-a-half weeks of
wind kept the fishermen off
the water, “and they had to go
somewhere,” according to Susan
Powell, owner of the Back Porch
Bar. Apparently, many of them
visited her waterfront, open-air
watering hole.
“Beyond that, I’ve been ask-
ing everyone - what is it? Some
say it’s the violence in Mexico,
and maybe that plays a part,”
Powell said.
“I’ve got a gut feeling a lot of
it is that we’re driving distance
away (from Houston, Austin and
San Antonio), and people are not
taking big trips. Honestly, I don’t
know what it is, but I’m glad it’s
happening. I hope it keeps up
over the summed’ she said.
Higher gas prices may take
a toll, but they haven’t so far,
Powell said. For some people,
she said, it will make a difference,
and $4-a-gallon gas will affect
airfares, so families may come
to Port Aransas as opposed to a
distant resort.
Port Aransas is “perceived as
a less expensive destination, and
we’re so darn family - oriented,”
Powell said.
The spring was so good,
she said, “We were caught
with our pants down. That’s
how good it’s been,” she said.
Wallis Starr, owner of Salt Grass
Boutique, said sales the past
couple of months have been
better than last year, giving her
hope for a prosperous summer.
“I think it’s going to be great.
With gas prices higher, people
are more likely to come here
from Austin and San Antonio,”
Starr said.
More customers are com-
ing through the doors at Ace
Hardware, according to general
manager Lacie Bowen. They’ve
stocked up, and customers are
finding they can buy on the
island.
At Zarsky Lumber, manager
Rene Cano echoed Bowen’s sen-
timents. Business, he said, is up
from last year, and “from what
I’m hearing from customers,
things are looking good.”
Bookings are up at Coastline
Adventures, which is a rental
agency for vacation homes and
other types of holiday lodging.
“We were sold out almost
every weekend in April this year,
and last year was dead,” said
owner Beverly Gilbreath.
“Gas prices haven’t hurt us
- I’m knocking on wood before
I cut my throat,” she joked.
Summer bookings look good
through August when school
starts, which is normal, Gil-
breath said.
“Does it have to do with other
places not being built up (such
as Galveston, still recovering
from Hurricane Ike) and people
not going far away? I’m not
complaining. I love it, whatever
it is,” she said.
The ticket to success, according
to Michael Banta, owner of Cars
and Carts, is that Port Aransas
is an affordable family getaway.
“With Port Aransas being a
wonderful tourist destination,
well fare very well. It looks like
were on track compared to last
year,” Banta said.
Banta won’t find an argument
from Edwin Myers, manager at
Kody’s Restaurant and Bar.
“Port Aransas is poised for a
very good summer. It continues
to rise above many other vaca-
tion choices,” Myers said.
Of the three beach destina-
tions in Texas, Galveston, South
Padre Island and Port Aransas,
Port Aransas is “in that right
spot,” he said.
Compared to last year at
this time, Kody’s bottom line
is up. Myers attributes that to
the growth of the restaurant
and the fact that the town has
been busier.
Port Aransas has positioned
itself well and is family friendly,
he said.
“If we continue on this course,
Port Aransas will continue to
attract people and have a very
good local economy. Hopefully,
everybody can take advantage of
that,” Myers said.
Shedding the mayor’s hat and
trading it for his Realtor hat, Mc-
Mullin said the current market
is a more serious buyer’s market
than it was a year ago.
Part of that, he said, is con-
sumer confidence.
“Most people realize interest
rates are going up, and money is
never ^oing to be as cheap as it
is now, McMullin said.
Still, money is not easy to
come by, he said.
II
Port Aransas is
the most
affordable
oceanfront
property in the
United States
of America.
Buster Hoffmaster
Developer
“Buyers still need to be very
qualified. Lenders are asking for
more as a down payment than
in the past. But, for qualified
buyers, there is no scarcity of
lenders out there,” he added.
Realtor Betty Turner said
she’s had more business and
more calls in the last few weeks
than she’d had in the previous
year.
“The market is still soft, but
it’s definitely better, she said,
noting that lower priced homes
are selling, and buyers are look-
ing for deals — or foreclosures,
of which there are few.
Sellers are concerned about
capital gains, taxes and their
jobs, so they are anxious to sell,
Turner said.
“There are more buyers than
sellers, and they’re looking for
investments for income,” she
added.
“I’m very optimistic and
upbeat, and I’m looking to see
the market improve,” Turner
said. It will, she added, when
the inventory is reduced.
Bankers typically have their
pulse on the business com-
munity, and George Horner is
no exception. He is president
of the Port Aransas branch of
American Bank.
“We are hearing that Realtors
are seeing increased activity and
there seems to be an increase
in occupancy in some of the
accommodation properties,”
Horner said.
Good reports coming in from
the retail side indicate they are
experiencing an increased level
of sales, Horner said.
“We started slow in January
and February, but from March
on, it’s been fairly positive,” he
added.
Port Aransas has not ex-
perienced the problem with
foreclosures that have domi-
nated other parts of the country,
Horner said.
Money is available to lend
to qualified buyers, both resi-
dential and commercial buyers,
Horner said, adding, “It always
has been.”
Buster Hoffmaster, developer
of residential subdivisions Vil-
lage Walk and Banyan Beach,
said he is finishing 10 houses
in Village Walk, and that “is a
modest increase over last year.
More importantly, there is a lot
of activity’
One sale is scheduled to close
this week, and another in June,
and there are two or three other
interested buyers in the wings,
he said.
Several things have helped
Port Aransas, Hoffmaster said.
Sadly, Hurricane Ike that struck
Galveston two years ago brought
vacationers, who had previously
gone to Galveston, to Port Aran-
sas, he said.
“Some had never been here
and others rediscovered us,”
and they’ve gone back home
and talked up Port Aransas,
so “we’re seeing more people
from the Houston market here,”
Hoffmaster said.
Also, he said, the notion of
“staycations” is real. People
are more conservative, and
Hoffmaster says he’s sure this
summer will be a record because
vacationers will not be going to
Disney World or Colorado or
Cancun - they’ll drive to Port
Aransas instead.
“Port Aransas is the most af-
fordable oceanfront property in
the United States of America,”
Hoffmaster said. People who
come in from Colorado, Califor-
nia and the Midwest are amazed
at the value they find in Port
Aransas.
“I’m happy. I’m not worried.
In fact, I’m encouraged,” Hoff-
master said.
With his mayor’s hat back on,
McMullin said businesses think
this may be the best year ever.
“It comes down to the weath-
er’
Comments? Questions? Con-
tact Judson at (361) 749-5131 or
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Judson, Mary Henkel. Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 26, 2011, newspaper, May 26, 2011; Port Aransas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth505966/m1/5/: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Ellis Memorial Library.