Willard Beach Paid Parking Working Group

Willard Beach Paid Parking Working Group - Jun 02 2026 Agenda Tuesday, June 2, 2026 at 12:00 PM Council Chambers 1. Roll call 2. Approval of minutes from the May 5 meeting 2 Willard Beach Paid Parking Minutes - 5.5.26.pdf 3. Public comment 4. Discussion with Ooda Parking 5. Review survey questions and vote on which ones to use 6. Review order and discuss next steps 7. Public comment 8. Adjourn Page 1 of 6  Willard Beach Paid Parking Working Group Meeting Minutes May 5, 2026 Called to order at by Adrienne at 12pm. Members Present: Adrienne Jalbert (Conservation Commission), Karl Coughlin (Parks & Recreation Director), and Officer Rocco Navarro (Traffic Safety Officer) Members Absent: Peter Wilson, Melissa Hutchins (Public Works Director), and Ellen Sanborn (Finance Director) Approval of minutes: Motion made by Officer Navarro. Seconded by Adrienne. Public Comment: Michael Cahill – He asked if the working group was aware of the Cliff House Beach parking lot issues in Cape Elizabeth. He stated that Officer Navarro’s parking survey is indicative of non-residents mostly using the parking lot and asked for clarification on SMCC’s stance on parking. He reiterated that he isn’t a fan of surveys and questions their value/benefit. He stated that he wasn’t sure if parking at the beach was mentioned in the comprehensive plan. He asked for an update on the Willard Hose Company parking situation at our next meeting. Ranger position and budget update: Director Coughlin stated the position was budgeted for and tentatively approved by Council in the FY27 budget. Page 2 of 6 Review draft survey questions: After further discussion, the draft survey that was created during the April 7 meeting was pared down to 5 questions. Both sets of questions are below. Review the order and discuss next steps: Director Coughlin made a motion to move item G -- Review the Order and Discuss Next Steps -- to the next meeting. Seconded by Officer Navarro. Voted unanimously. Public comment: Michael Cahill – He stated that he wishes Shara posted a Willard Beach dog hours reminder on Facebook. Adjourn: Motion made by Adrienne. Seconded by Director Coughlin. Page 3 of 6 Draft Survey Questions from April Meeting #1 – Which of the following best describes you as a user of the Willow St parking lot or on- street parking? Visiting Willard Beach Visiting someone in the neighborhood Supporting local businesses #2 – What is your mailing zip code? #3 – How often do you frequent the Willard beach neighborhood? 1-2 times per month 3-4 times per month 2-3 times per week 4-6 times per week Everyday #4 – What months do you visit the Willard beach neighborhood? List every month #5 – Which day(s) and period of time(s) do you typically visit the Willard Beach neighborhood? Weekday morning Weekday afternoon Weekday evening Weekend morning Weekend afternoon Weekend evening Page 4 of 6 #6 – Are you satisfied with the number of parking spots available in the willow st parking lot? Very dissatisfied Dissatisfied Neutral Satisfied Very dissatisfied #7 – How can we improve parking in the Willard beach neighborhood? Space availability Price ADA accessible parking Accommodating alternative transportation modes #8 – Rank the following parking factors from most important (1) to least important (7) Distance to destination Price Total number of parking spaces Having time restricted Parking enforcement #9 – How far are you willing to walk from your parking spot to destination? From the Willard beach parking lot From Willard square From the fire department From Preble St From SMCC’s campus #10 – How much would you be willing to pay to park Leave open ended Page 5 of 6 Draft Survey Questions from May Meeting #1 – Are you a South Portland resident? Yes No #2 – Which of the following best describes you as a user of the Willow St parking lot or on- street parking? Visiting Willard Beach Visiting someone in the neighborhood Supporting local businesses #3 – How often do you visit the Willard beach neighborhood? 1-2 times per month 3-4 times per month 2-3 times per week 4-6 times per week Everyday #4 – Which of the following is the most important to you? The least important? Distance to destination Price Parking availability Time restriction #5 – Would you visit Willard Beach if you had to pay for parking? Yes No Page 6 of 6