Annapolis-area residents spoke out Monday on proposals from vendors who want to run Market House, the collection of shops and eateries in a historic building directly across from City Dock.

The current lease at Market House is up in December, and the city officials put out a call for bids seeking a vendor to operate the property, a city-owned site that has long been a mainstay of the Historic District.

At Monday’s public hearing on a trio of proposals — down from four after one bidder pulled out — residents told City Council members they wanted an operator who will hire local people and offer affordable goods.

Resident William Pratt said he envisions a place where people can “bring their family in and enjoy the festivities of downtown Annapolis.”

“I like to see the Market House go back to some of the days of the early ’80s when people loved each other,” Pratt said.

Alderman Joe Budge, a Ward1Democrat,