HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners called a special meeting July 7 to vote on the first reading of an ordinance implementing permit-only parking in residential neighborhoods near the beach. The first reading passed with a unanimous vote and will go for a final reading during a July 21 meeting.
The early morning meeting resulted in a few changes to the ordinance as an updated map was presented illustrating the areas throughout the city that are planned to be open for streetside public parking and those where only residents with permits will be able to park on the street.
Commissioners were concerned with putting the cost of the permit parking program on the city’s residents, proposed at $20 per permit to be renewed annually. Commissioner Kim Rash said he didn’t agree with charging people to park on the street in front of their own homes. With the coming 2020-21 budget already a concern for city leaders due to lower than usual expected revenues from state funding sources, Commissioner Carol Soustek suggested raising the city’s parking violation fine from $50 to $75 to absorb the cost of the permit program.
Though commissioners informally agreed to the raised fine amount, City Attorney Patricia Petruff said it would take the approval of a separate ordinance to raise the parking fine amount.
Chief Bill Tokajer said signs would be installed in the coming week at beach access points designating golf cart-only parking spaces. Under the permit program, golf carts also will be able to take advantage of the permit-only street parking, however things get a little complicated depending on what kind of golf cart is being used. A regular golf cart, one that doesn’t require a tag or registration with the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles, can be parked anywhere in the permit parking zone without a permit from the city. A low-speed vehicle, or LSV, a golf cart or other vehicle not a car or truck that does require a license plate and DMV registration, will be able to park in the permit only zone but will require a permit sticker issued by the city.
Though commissioners discussed making the permit parking 24 hours a day every day, after much discussion and input from Tokajer they opted to start out with permit parking from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, allowing public parking on the street in the residential area after 5 p.m. so that people can have a party or dinner guests without having to contact the police department first to get passes for guests to park on the street. For residents choosing to have guests during the permit parking- only hours where parking cannot be accommodated on their property, they will still need to contact the police department to get authorized parking passes for guests or ask for a bag to be placed over the permit only signs while their guests are present.
Tokajer did say it will be necessary for the city to purchase new signs for the permit parking area at a cost of about $2,400.
Commissioners agreed unanimously to put the permit parking to a six-month review to see how it works for the residents and what changes to the program need to be made.
Commissioners next meet on July 21 for a meeting and work session to be held via Zoom.
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