Staff Writer 

Magical Treasures trading company owner Lewis Marston said he has occupied flea market booths in cities larger than South Portland for less than he’s paying at the South Portland Flea Market on Broadway. 

“Why have a permit fee and then a processing fee?” he asked. “We set up in Saco every year and there’s no processing fee. Westbrook doesn’t charge anything.”

According to City Manager Jim Gailey’s research, Westbrook and Scarborough do not charge flea market vendors or the property owners. 

“It’s like they deny [flea markets] even exist,” Councilor Maxine Beecher said.

Currently, it costs $75 for a permit to open a flea market in South Portland and all vendors must pay a $25 permit fee and a $15 processing fee to the city clerk’s office. This is less expensive than  Saco, where it costs $200 to obtain a permit to open a flea market – with vendors paying a $20 permitting fee to the city – but more expensive than Portland, where flea market owners pay $65 to open and vendors pay $15 plus a processing fee to the city, according to Gailey’s research. In addition to the city’s fees, Vincent Maietta, speaking for his brother and owner of the flea market, Louis Maietta, said vendors also pay the South Portland Flea Market. According to advertisements, rates can be up to $45 per week.

“An additional $40 is tough for some of these people to come up with,” Marston said. “And that doesn’t count what we have to pay the flea market.”

On Monday, more than a month after the council approved the fee schedule and permitting process for flea market vendors, councilors discussed the possibility of lowering or eliminating the amount vendors must pay to be able to sell goods at a flea market.

“I did not understand when this passed before,” Beecher said of the fee amounts. “I just didn’t do the math.”

Vincent Maietta said the current fees discourage “garage sale people” from selling goods at the flea market. Empty booths have forced the Maiettas to charge their vendors less and increase advertising, but experienced vendors such as Marston know it will take more to attract shoppers and make money. Currently, Vincent Maietta said there are 11 active vendors at the flea market, although there is space for many more.

“This morning we saw a couple come in, look around and walk right back out,” he said last weekend. “People want to see a lot of stuff, not empty space.”

A majority of the council supported Beecher’s proposal to eliminate the $25 permitting fee and some suggested simplifying the application by eliminating the $15 processing fee as well. 

“I would eliminate all fees,” Councilor Jim Soule said. “We have to stay competitive in this market. If this is what our competitors are doing, we should too, if we really felt it was important to give people as many tools as was necessary for them to do business in the community.”

Councilor Patti Smith also questioned the importance of the $15 filing fee. Currently, a $15 processing fee is currently required for any permit issued by the city except for yard sales which cost a flat $5 fee and may be issued only twice a year. 

City Clerk Sue Mooney said processing fees cover the city clerk’s time and a review by Police Chief Edward Googins to help ensure that stolen goods aren’t sold at flea markets. 

“Is that a necessary watchdog? Will that help?” Smith asked. “What are we afraid of?”

Councilor Linda Boudreau said she thinks it is important for Googins to approve permits, but other councilors questioned the effectiveness of the review, which Mooney said does not include a complete background check for applicants.

“Does the chief actually do any processing?” Soule asked. 

On Wednesday, Lt. Frank Clark said vendor applications are not reviewed by police, although applications for flea market operators – in South Portland Flea Market’s instance, Louis Maietta – are subjected to approval by the police and fire chiefs.

“We mostly look at traffic patterns and fire safety,” Clark said. “It’s just to address safety issues.”

Proposed amendments to the permit and processing fees for flea market vendors are expected to be addressed by the council during their April 6 meeting.