Rehoboth Beach restores funding to Main Street Foundation as 'investment' in city economy

The Rehoboth Beach Commissioners have restored funding for the Rehoboth Beach Main Street Foundation.

The commission decided by a vote of 6-0, with Commissioner Toni Sharp being absent for the vote, at their Nov. 17 meeting to grant the foundation $20,000 as well as allowing it to operate in the soon-to-be vacated Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce building on a temporary basis.

"The money putting in would be supporting your businesses, and that’s such a small investment in what you get in return," said Commissioner Kathy McGuiness.

While it is not the full $50,000 the organization had asked for, the $20,000 will be to tide the foundation over until the next budget process when the commission can revisit the idea.

Rehoboth Beach Main Street was supposed to be disbanded March 31, but swift action taken by the board in February prevented that from happening.

Now, Rehoboth Beach Main Street enters a new chapter with Trey Kraus, owner of Carlton's on Rehoboth Avenue, in charge.

"We are going to be the cheerleader and the co-marketer and incubator to help people come up with ideas to make Rehoboth better and help people put it together," Kraus said in a previous interview.

Kraus and Main Street want the focus to be on creating an enticing environment for people to come shop, eat and open businesses along Rehoboth Avenue and the surrounding streets.

And, rather than focusing on being a collection of businesses, Kraus said, the foundation will be representing the whole community

"We just happen to have businesses," Kraus said in the previous interview.

BACKGROUND: Rehoboth Beach Main Street returns with new focus

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