Public hearing to ban street performers on Hypolita

Historic City News readers will be able to participate in a public hearing Monday evening where the St Augustine City Commission will decide the fate of buskers and street performers on Hypolita Street; already prohibited between St George and Cordova Streets, now proposed to be prohibited between St George and Avenida Menendez, as well.

City Attorney Ronald W. Brown will present the latest “prohibited location” to be added to the “street performer” ordinance; this time brought about by complaints from a Historic District merchant who doesn’t like buskers performing close by a store which he rents from the city.

Ray Dominey, who, with his wife Jessie, has operated St Augustine Photographic Art, Inc., “Get Your Photos on Canvas” since 2006, and most recently relocated to the first floor of Casa Del Hildago, appeared before the commission at their meeting June 10 armed with pictures of performers he claims are hurting his business.

If you plan to attend, the City Commission Meeting will be held on Monday, July 8, 2013, beginning at 5:00 p.m. in the Alcazar Room of the City Hall Building located at 75 King Street in St Augustine. You can watch the meeting live on Comcast Government Television channel 3. New safety measures will require attendees to empty the contents of their pockets, subject their bags to search, and submit to an electronic frisk performed by uniformed police using handheld wands upon entry, or re-entry, to the meeting room. Allow sufficient additional time to accomplish this new safety measure.