Willard Beach Paid Parking Working Group

Willard Beach Paid Parking Working Group - Jul 07 2026 Agenda Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at 12:00 PM Council Chambers 1. Roll Call 2. Approval of Minutes from June 2nd Meeting 2 Willard Beach Paid Parking Minutes - 6.2.26.pdf 3. Public Comment 4. Survey Update 6 Approved Survey - 6.2.26.pdf 5. Willard Hose Company Discussion 6. Discuss the Order 7. Public Comment 8. Adjourn Page 1 of 6  Willard Beach Paid Parking Working Group Meeting Minutes June 2, 2026 Called to order at by Adrienne at 12:02pm. Members Present: Adrienne Jalbert (Conservation Commission), Peter Wilson, Karl Coughlin (Parks & Recreation Director), Officer Rocco Navarro (Traffic Safety Officer), and Ellen Sanborn (Finance Director) Members Absent: Melissa Hutchins (Public Works Director) Approval of minutes: Motion made by Officer Navarro. Seconded by Director Coughlin. Voted unanimously. Public Comment: None. Discussion with OODA Parking: The CEO of OODA and the former Parking Director for the City of Portland led a round table discussion with the group. - They inquired about traffic data in the Willard Beach neighborhood. Officer Navarro mentioned he performed daily car counts at the Willow St parking lot and found the majority of people parking in the lot are non-residents. - They stated that people are more likely to pay for parking if they know that it is for a specific cause (like beach maintenance) as opposed to it going straight into the general fund. - Officer Navarro stated that earlier this year he wrote 23 tickets in a day – many of those people were parked in the fire lane, in the woods, etc. Only 2 of those tickets were issued to South Portland residents. Page 2 of 6 - Director Sanborn discussed the current challenges we face, including not having a parking division and no dedicated staff. - They stated that in Portland there are residential parking zones (1 to 2 hours). A Portland residents could get a sticker, which would allow them all day access. - Portland currently has pay and display kiosks throughout the city. These kiosks allow you to pay using coins and cards, and you can display the printed receipt on your dashboard. - They stated that approximately 80% of parking payments in Portland are through parking apps and there are significantly fewer issues with app-based transactions than with kiosks. The app can send a reminder to let people know when they have X amount of time left. - They stated that having clear signage is the key. - They recommended charging more for on street parking to encourage folks to park in designated parking lots. - They stated that having a system where residents get to park for free (and non- residents pay) should be avoided because it sets a bad precedent - Director Coughlin asked about their fee structure and they stated that they cover all up fronts costs and expenses and their fee is typically 15% - 20%. They can handle enforcement for an additional fee. - Director Sanborn says she could picture this rollout of paid parking being phased, starting with the Willow St lot and expanding to on-street parking. - Michael Cahill (resident) asked if there is paid parking at East End Beach Portland and was told no. He also asked if they 65 parking spots in the Willow St parking lot could generate revenue and was told yes. Michael stated that he could like to see on street parking be paid parking, too. Page 3 of 6 Review survey questions and vote on which ones to use: Questions unanimously approved as amended (page 4) Review the order and discuss next steps: Moved to next meeting. Public comment: Michael Cahill mentioned that we should be mindful of the impact that paid parking will have on SMCC. He said that he is now more open minded to paid parking because of the discussion earlier in the meeting (especially because of the ability to use an app). He reiterated that he feels the city needs to engage the Willard Hose Company to see if they’d allow the city to use their vacant lot for parking. Director Sanborn said the roll out of paid parking could be staged, starting with the Willow St parking lot and then to on street parking. Adjourn: Motion made by Director Coughlin. Seconded by Officer Navarro. Voted unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 1pm. Page 4 of 6 Draft Survey Questions (Approved on June 2, 2026) #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? Daily Weekly Monthly Occasionally #4 – Which of the following is the most important to you? Distance to the beach Price Parking availability Time restriction #5 – Would you visit Willard Beach if you had to pay for parking? Yes No Page 5 of 6 Draft Survey Questions (Approved on June 2, 2026) #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? Daily Weekly Monthly Occasionally #4 – Which of the following is the most important to you? Distance to the beach Price Parking availability Time restriction #5 – Would you visit Willard Beach if you had to pay for parking? Yes No Page 6 of 6