Willard Beach Paid Parking Working Group

Willard Beach Paid Parking Working Group Agenda Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at 12:00 PM South Portland City Council Chambers A. CALL TO ORDER B. ROLL CALL C. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM 2/3/26 MEETING Willard Beach Paid 2-6 Parking Minutes - 2.3.26.pdf D. PUBLIC COMMENT E. DISCUSS HIRING A CONSULTANT TO ASSIST THE COMMITTEE WITH THE COST OF IMPLEMENTING A PAID PARKING PLAN. VOTE TO ADD THIS TO THE FY27 BUDGET F. DISCUSS THE COST OF HIRING A SEASONAL EMPLOYEE TO CONDUCT CAR COUNTS AND SURVEYS AT WILLARD BEACH FROM JULY 1 - NOVEMBER 30, 2026. VOTE TO ADD THIS TO THE FY27 BUDGET G. REVIEW THE MAP HIGHLIGHTING WHERE PARKING SHOULD BE PERMITTED THROUGHOUT THE WILLARD NEIGHBORHOOD H. DISCUSS THE SURVEY AND START DEVELOPING QUESTIONS I. REVIEW THE GROUP'S DUTIES TO ENSURE NOTHING IS BEING OVERLOOKED J. PUBLIC COMMENT K. ADJOURN Page 1 of 6  Willard Beach Paid Parking Working Group Meeting Minutes February 3, 2026 Called to order at 12:02pm Members Present: Adrienne Jalbert (Conservation Commission), Peter Wilson (Conservation Commission), Ellen Sanborn (Finance Director), Karl Coughlin (Parks & Rec Director), Melissa Hutchins (Public Works Director), & Rocco Navarro (Traffic Safety Officer) Approval of minutes – Motion to approve made by Peter. Officer Navarro seconded. Approved unanimously. Members Absent Public Comment No comment Updates regarding how other communities handle paid parking Officer Navarro spoke with the finance director in Cape Elizabeth and was provided a copy of Cape’s contract with UPP Global, the company who manages the parking at Fort Williams. Cape’s finance director stated that it’s a streamlined process and UPP handles all aspects of the paid parking operation. Fort Williams generates roughly $700,000 in profit after UPP takes their cut. Fort Williams has approximately 800 parking spots, while Willard Beach has 60. Residents and non-residents are charged at Fort Williams. Director Hutchins provided a breakdown of how Saco, Scarborough, and Old Orchard Beach manage paid parking. Page 2 of 6 Saco • For Saco residents, the parking pass is $25 for the first car, and $5 for a second car. • Free pass for veterans of any age, and a free pass for residents over 62 years of age. • Car registration as proof of residency for each pass. Each pass is assigned to a vehicle and is not be to moved from vehicle to vehicle. • Non-resident parking or without a parking pass City uses Flowbird App for payment and a kiosk system at FerryBeach. • Non-permit parking: Hourly May 1st to October 15th $2.00 per hour Scarborough • For Scarborough residents, the parking pass is $40 for the first car, and $5 for a second car. • Free pass for resident seniors over 60. • Free pass for Income Restrictions • Free Pass for Veteran (Lifetime Pass) • Free Active Duty Military Resident Pass • Non resident parking pass is $200, but limited to 350 passes • Without pass 7am – 5:30pm $20 flat rate Old Orchard Beach Parking Permit types: • $50 Residential Permit • $75 Residential Permit • $150 Non-Resident Permit • $300 Non-Resident Permit • $100 Temporary Permit (increased from $50) • $1,000 Non-Resident Permit Page 3 of 6  • Hourly parking rates is $4 per hour and uses the Passport mobile app Officer Navarro inquired whether or not paid parking would be year-round, or just during the “busy” season, which is usually from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Peter brought up the fact that people do use the beach year-round and the parking lot was crowded on Monday, February 2nd. Discuss resources Adrienne asked the committee what resources the City currently had and staffing (and the associated costs) was brought up. Director Coughlin was asked if his existing staff had the capacity to monitor the parking lot, the beach and beach entrances to survey users and Director Coughlin explained that his staff doesn’t have the capability to take on these extra responsibilities because they will be busy with their other job tasks. Director Coughlin also stated that he doesn’t have the monies in the FY26 budget to support adding this position. The committee discussed what the estimated cost would be to hire a seasonal employee and Director Coughlin asked for clarification for how many days/hours/months this position would be needed. The committee agreed that counts and surveys should occur from July 1 – November 30, 2026, which would align perfectly with FY27 budget requests. The committee estimates this position would be needed for about 20 hours per week. The committee discussed how much it would cost to hire two full time on-and-off street parking division employees (similar to Portland) and the committee estimated it would cost about $200,000/yr for those employees (including benefits). Director Sanborn asked about existing on street parking. Director Hutchins displayed a map from the Willard Beach Master Plan. Director Hutchins stated the Master Plan Page 4 of 6 doesn’t follow the City’s official traffic schedule, so some of the information is not factual. Director Hutchins discussed where on street parking is currently allowed/not allowed. She shared a parking study count and talked about what roads allow parking/one sided parking/no parking, etc. Director Hutchins said the recommendation from police, fire, and public works is to cap parking at 180 spots (60 in the main parking lot and 120 on street spots). This recommendation considers safety and pedestrian movement. Director Sanborn asked how on street parking would be handled and enforced and whether parking stations would be located throughout the Willard neighborhood. The committee discussed how no other communities (other than OOB on East/West Grand) have parking stations interspersed in residential neighborhoods. Director Hutchins mentioned having free short-term parking in the Willard Square area and Adrienne said 30 minutes is reasonable. Peter Wilson mentioned that the Willard Beach Master Plan could be a good resource and that the survey could provide helpful information related to parking. Discuss next steps Adrienne asked if the committee should hire a consultant to help them figure out the cost to implement a paid parking plan. Members of the committee stated that they were confident the committee could figure out the cost. This item is going to be added to the next agenda for further discussion and a vote. Director Coughlin is going to provide the committee with an estimate for how much it will cost to hire a seasonal employee to conduct counts and surveys from July 1 – November 30, 2026, at the next meeting. Page 5 of 6 Officer Navarro mentioned that the city may increase their parking fine rates city-wide and he is hoping to provide an update at the next meeting. Director Sanborn stated that those charges won’t go straight to Willard Beach. Peter asked for a graphic/map that would highlight where parking should be allowed. Director Hutchins said she would provide this at the next meeting. Director Coughlin asked that the survey (and questions) be discussed at the next meeting. Adrienne requested reviewing the working group’s duties at the next meeting, to ensure nothing is being overlooked. Director Coughlin stated that he and Peter are going to meet with SMCC regarding parking and pedestrian access and will provide the committee an update as soon as possible. Public comment Councilor Scott mentioned that using a traffic counter to get counts of cars entering the Willow St parking lot during the summertime could be helpful. Officer Navarro stated that this is something that he can look into. Adjourn Motion to adjourn made by Director Sanborn. Director Hutchins seconded. Meeting adjourned at 1:01pm. Page 6 of 6