By Kenny Walter
Staff Writer
SEA BRIGHT- The ongoing debate over paid parking continued last week with the council now seemingly more split than ever on the issue.
During the May 3 meeting, the council voted on three separate measures involving paid parking, with each vote resulting in a 3-3 split.
Despite the split votes and some displeasure expressed by business owners and residents, Councilman Charles Rooney III said in the end, paid parking will be a benefit to the borough.
“I’ve done a lot of legwork and I will go down saying this will help our businesses immensely,” Rooney said. “I believe in what we are doing and we are going to get it right.”
During the meeting, the council introduced an ordinance that gives the council the ability to establish the price annually by resolution. However, the vote was split, with Councilmen William Keeler and John Lamia and Councilwoman Peggy Bills voting against the ordinance, forcing Mayor Dina Long to vote in favor of the ordinance to break the tie.
The council was also split on a resolution allowing those who previously purchased seasonal beach badges a refund if they were unhappy with the council’s decision to charge for parking. Long snapped the tie and voted in favor of the resolution.
Prior to the two votes, Keeler requested the council amend the agenda to vote on a resolution that would put off the paid parking program until 2017. However, much like the other votes recorded that night, the council was split 3-3 on amending the agenda, forcing Long once again to end the tie and she voted no.
“I will have to say no, I don’t want to kick the can down the road,” she said.
The council is considering implementing six parking kiosks at the borough’s beach lots in an effort to bring in additional revenues, possibly to offset the costs associated with superstorm Sandy.
Although no decision was made, the prominent thought during the meeting was that the borough would charge $1 an hour from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Also discussed was the possibility of continuing to charge for parking at night at a reduced rate.
However, at recent meetings, several business owners expressed concern over the measures that have an impact on the local business community.
Long said that a May 11 meeting with business owners has been scheduled to discuss the paid parking implementation.
“I just don’t want anyone to think that this is going through without an effort to meet with the stakeholders,” she said.
Resident Marianne McKenzie said the agenda originally posted on April 29 had a resolution that would rescind the paid parking resolution previously passed, but was subsequently removed from the agenda prior to the meeting. She also criticized the council for moving forward with the paid parking initiative without deciding on several issues including price, time and number of spaces.
“I understand that we all want revenue, but we want it done right,” McKenzie said. “It’s like every day you figure out something else that hasn’t been taken care of.”
Another resident suggested that instead of charging for parking, the borough could bump up daily beach badges from $8 to $10 in an effort to increase revenue.