Essex County approves concessions sales at golf courses, corrects park fee and awards summer-events and zoo contracts

Essex County commissioners on the evening meeting approved a change that would allow the sale (rather than only permit-based service) of beer and wine at concessions at three county golf courses and moved forward a set of parks contracts for summer events and zoo services.

Joshua Zates, who identified himself as with County Parks, told commissioners the ordinance would amend county rules to permit beer and wine sales at Hendrix, Sweet Quake and Frances Burn golf courses to make concession leases more attractive to vendors and support outsourcing of concession operations. "This would actually allow for the sale of those items," Zates said when introducing the item. Commissioners asked whether alcohol would be sold by a concessionaire and whether sales tax liability would fall on the vendor; Zates replied the concessionaire would collect applicable sales taxes and the county’s direct revenue from the arrangement would be the vendor payment to operate the concession.

The board also approved a correction to the 2024 fee schedule for the Irvington Park Community Center, increasing the rental rate from $500 to $650 so it aligns with the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center for comparable buildings. Zates said the change was an error correction made while updating signage and pamphlets.

Separately, the board approved multiple parks contracts presented by Zates: an entertainment-services contract with LG Event Productions not to exceed $203,600 to fund summer concerts and related programs; a fireworks contract with Starfire Corporation not to exceed $103,000 covering a series of summertime displays (Branch Brook Park June 28; WeQuake July 2; Brookdale July 3); a 24-month landscape-maintenance contract (Clark Mornahan Landscaping) not to exceed $78,376; HVAC and animal-waste removal change orders at Turtle Back Zoo that raised those contracts to $375,000 and $242,611.20 respectively; two minor vendor-name corrections for local arts-grant recipients (no change in award amounts); and a janitorial-services contract with Hudson Community Enterprises for zoo facilities, at an hourly rate the presenter stated as $23.26 and a not-to-exceed total in the board materials.

All parks items were presented together and approved by roll-call vote. Commissioners asked routine procurement questions — including whether certain vendors were sheltered-workshop organizations (Zates confirmed Hudson Community Enterprises is a sheltered workshop) and whether planned events and timing were consistent with prior outreach.

The meeting record shows the board moved and approved the park concessions ordinance and the listed contracts with a majority roll-call vote (Vice President Cooper was recorded as absent).