With malice toward none and charity to all, let it be said… we need free parking this December. I will speak on this at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting (11/14) and if there is support, I’d like to vote on it at the next workshop. (11/28)
Why not ask for a vote on Tuesday? … Because I don’t like voting on topics without proper discussion. We discuss it Tuesday, then allow two weeks for the public to be heard and for Council members to consider it. Then, and only then, a vote is appropriate (in my opinion.) So why Hoffer, why?
It’s Asking Too Much From Too Few
It’s just too much of a burden on our local businesses. They didn’t sign up for this when they invested in our town. And I’m not just talking about the Boardwalk businesses here. The lack of visitors and the bad publicity hurts all of our businesses. With free parking in the winter months, people may come to town for the beach and the Boardwalk, but have dinner at an establishment who has their own parking lot on their way out of town. I’ve also heard from property managers who said that CB off-season listings are down because visitors are specifically requesting Kure Beach places.
It’s Bad For Our Image
We are the only beach town in the entire state that charges for parking year-round. Even those fancy-pantsed**, Eagletonians up in Wrightsville Beach don’t charge November-February. Hell, they don’t even give their own citizens a parking pass**, but it’s free in the winter!
** A reader pointed out to me that WB does sell parking passes to their citizens. $50, but some restrictions apply. Another reader pointed out that not all WB people wear fancy pants, and in fact, most WB people wear regular pants just like us. (Who knew?) I regret the error and the unfair generalization.
And don’t get me started on the citations. Let’s just say it’s a bad look. We need to take a reset and discuss this fully over the winter months.
It’s Not That Much Money
December 2022 gross parking revenue was about $25,000. That sounds like more than it really is. We can make that up next spring easily by simply raising the maximum daily fee from $25 to $35. It doesn’t have to affect the current budget at all.
But if you really want to play the “It’ll raise my taxes!” game, it would amount to $3 out of my pocket. That’s based on how much we’d have to raise taxes (which we won’t) to make up the loss. It’s a good thing I have Janet to split the cost with me. Quick honey, look under the couch cushions!
Let me get this straight… we’re going to divide the town (and yes, this has divided the town) over $3?Which brings me to my last point:
It’s Just Not Popular
The election tells me so. Lynn Barbee won 49.9% of the vote. Call me crazy, but I think every one of the other 50.1% don’t like the parking policy. It was a one-issue election for them. Think about it, what else is there that’s so controversial? You can nitpick all you want, but things are generally going better than ever in Carolina Beach. Without this unpopular issue, he probably runs unopposed.
And many of those who voted for Lynn did so despite not liking the parking policy. I know this because they told me so.
Which leads me to believe that if the current parking policy was a ballot initiative it would lose big time. The business owners are a very small minority in Carolina Beach. But we’re an empathetic bunch and most of us feel guilty about this. You can put me in that group.
The Theory of Congestion Pricing
Many people don’t realize this, but paid parking isn’t just about the money. It’s also a form of congestion control. Think of higher road tolls during rush hour. You charge more during the crazy season to keep the crowds in check and less during the slower season to encourage visitors. It’s a way to flatten the crowd curve which makes it easier to manage the town. I think we’ve gotten away from that.
I’ve heard from quite a few citizens that like the price point because it makes finding a parking space easier in the busy season. What good is a parking pass if there’s nowhere to park?
A Word About Our Town Council
Buried down here at the bottom of the blog, this may not be read, but I mean every word.
Did you know that this is first time in over 20 years that the same exact Council will serve for 4 years straight? There has always been turnover. Why not this year? Because this is an honorable, professional and dedicated group. Because people agree with the general direction of the town. There will always be detractors and gadflies, but let’s be real… things are good right now. The financials are great, projects are getting done, grant money is flowing and we communicate pretty well.
If you’re convinced that we’re a terrible Council, then you’re either new to town or have a really bad memory. Things may not be perfect, but have they ever been perfect in CB? I’ve seen Council members bicker endlessly at meetings, resign in a huff and get arrested in bar fights. Who here remembers the road diet? Buying oceanfront hotels? The Arcadius high rise project? Hiring a Town Manager that lasted 3 months? The original lake dredge project?
Why are things going well? I’d say that continuity, consistency and cordiality are underrated attributes. We have staff in place and we let them do their jobs. We don’t change our priorities every 6 weeks. We had a very smooth transition in 2021. While we looked inexperienced on paper (Jay and Lynn had only served 2 years, 3 new members were taking office) we were ready to go. Jay and Lynn are mature professionals. Joe had served as Mayor, Deb’s local understanding was unmatched and me… well, I’m pretty experienced and educated and I’ll just leave it at that.
We disagree, but we don’t bicker. We have fun, but we stay professional. We have dreams, but we stay realistic.
The first words of this blog were “with malice toward none.” I mean it. To those who disagree with me, no hard feelings. We’ll either make the change or we won’t. And then we’ll continue to move forward.
That is an amazing idea Mike!! Question, between the council meeting and the workshop for vote (if it goes to vote) where will the public discussion happen? Social Media can be used but man…..it goes down a rabbit hole and gets personal quick! Another suggestion for consideration, Nov – Mon through Thurs free and charge on the weekends…The majority of the population around CBD during that time is Fri – Sat from what I’ve seen. I was going to suggest off-season passes for OTB Nov-Dec but, if Dec is free along with Jan-Feb then I don’t think we need that. Thank you so much for addressing this head on, we’ve really, really needed that!!
Thank you reading Joy. I’m sure the Pleasure Island News will speak on this and tell your friends to check my blog post. Then email or call your elected officials. We listen!
Thank you, Mike, for continuing to address the parking issue. I really hate to see our local businesses suffer from paid parking in the off season. Please extend it through February.
If it means our taxes go up a bit then so be it. Better that than see business owners I know on the boardwalk & Lake Park Blvd. close & lose their incomes.
Thank you Lynn for reading… and for your compassion.
Need winter free parking! Sign me up for $3 tax increase!
Big spender! LOL. Thanks for reading.
‘The first words of this blog were “with malice toward none.” I mean it. To those who disagree with me, no hard feelings. We’ll either make the change or we won’t. And then we’ll continue to move forward.’
I’d love to see this become the mindset of our whole Island. Well played Council Member Hoffer.
Thanks Mo!
I like your mindset and your plan MIke. Southport and KB parking was full on Friday afternoon on our way back from the ferry. CB… not so much.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Thanks for this statement, Mike. A few weeks ago I was at a get-together at Long Leaf Park. Everyone there except us was from OTB. One person who lives nearby on River Road, goes out to dinner every month with his sister (both widowed) and spends significant money on restaurants at other times said that since the end of the non-resident passes he has not set foot in CB and has not spent a dime here. Meanwhile his sister, who lives in the MJ area, has gotten a non-resident pass for KB and said she will not even stop in CB because of the parking – both the rates and the confusion about the lots, the evening cutoff times, the ownership, etc.
In addition to your suggestion about free December and revising the structure of the fines, I hope the Town Council will also look at restoring the non-resident passes. If we antagonize people during the season, they won’t come back in the off-season. While more people are moving to the CB Road and River Road areas, so too are more businesses, all of which have or will have free parking. I doubt that local people from north of MJ come here during the off season – too far and too many choices closer to their homes. We need the south of MJ crowd to assure that we have year-round businesses here for the residents.
Thank you, Mike, for listening. None of these questions are black and white or simple. The town just received $400k “bonus money” with no strings attached from ABC (alcohol sales) That more than covers the $25k while more research is being done. No need to discuss taxes going up. Some of that money was generated by the Boardwalk Businesses- they are not looking for charity- they are looking for a compromise. Also- parking revenue has increased by over a million since 2020- the business owners that invested in the Boardwalk are part of the reason people are willing to pay extra in the summer months. Remember- we already increased from $20 -$25 a day in the summer months and the businesses wholeheartedly agreed on that one because the summer months were robust and wait times were 2 hours at most restaurants in the summer. The town purchased a building on the Boardwalk as a “chess move” for $325k? that we pay $2,500 a month for (tied to the hamlet loan was my understanding- correct me if I’m wrong) but we’re leasing out the land for $400. Couldn’t we increase the rent or sell the land for a tidy profit? Mayor Barbee mentioned when the big parking changes were made that it needs to be simple. Having 3 different pay seasons is not simple. On and off makes most sense. Please put green on the signs where town parking passes are allowed and red where they are not. They all look the same. There is also a way people can reserve parking spaces during the free parking season for a premium charge during big event days that can take the burden off from taxpayers. There is more that can be done that should be explored- and I am sure you will do that before the vote is made.