Fairhope, Alabama
ENTRANCE FEES COULD RISE
Because of the "trashing of beach parks" on some weekends, the mayor is asking the city council to raise entrance fees "a couple of dollars" to help cover the higher cleanup costs.
Currently, during Spring and Summer months only, city-area residents having a sticker are allowed in at no charge but others are charged $8 per car and $3 per person for walk-ins; but that is no longer enough to cover the cost of cleaning up the park and restrooms.
Paper, cans and bottles, food, soiled diapers, cold charcoal and miscellaneous other items are being dumped and some of them scattered by the wind; the addition of more trash and recycling cans last year did not have much impact on the problem.
Mayor Kant said that Public Works personnel had to come in and clean up twice-daily over the busy weekend of April 24-25th and expenses there have been growing over the years as more people use the park.
He thought some of it may be deliberately done, perhaps by those angry at having to pay at all.
At one time the fees were as high as $20, then lowered to $6 and finally to the present $8 -- over 15 years ago.
Councilmember Brewer agreed a $10 fee seemed right; but Boone argued that since the beach is meant primarily for the use of Fairhopers and "they are not the problem" -- a $25/car fee on "out of towners" was more appropriate.
The mayor said he thought that that since federal dollars have been spent there the general public had to have access -- and the fees needed to be "fair and reasonable."
He was to research the matter further to determine exact costs to the city -- and if there is a legal-maximum they could charge, according to any federal or state regulations.
NEW PATROL OFFICIAL TO BE HIRED
Currently, a regular police officer must witness the offense to issue citations for littering, but a new (non police) part-time official is to be hired -- just to patrol the beach and pier areas on weekends/holidays as needed.
Municipal littering fines are $50 for the first offense, and $100 for subsequent ones; councilman Burrell said he thought issuing more citations was the answer, even though collecting the fines on non-residents may be problematic.
For the time being, the mayor said the entrance booth is to remain open later, until 7PM.
 |
| Fairhope North Beach park |
ENTRANCE FEES COULD RISE
Because of the "trashing of beach parks" on some weekends, the mayor is asking the city council to raise entrance fees "a couple of dollars" to help cover the higher cleanup costs.
Currently, during Spring and Summer months only, city-area residents having a sticker are allowed in at no charge but others are charged $8 per car and $3 per person for walk-ins; but that is no longer enough to cover the cost of cleaning up the park and restrooms.
Paper, cans and bottles, food, soiled diapers, cold charcoal and miscellaneous other items are being dumped and some of them scattered by the wind; the addition of more trash and recycling cans last year did not have much impact on the problem.
 |
| North Beach Park entrance |
He thought some of it may be deliberately done, perhaps by those angry at having to pay at all.
At one time the fees were as high as $20, then lowered to $6 and finally to the present $8 -- over 15 years ago.
Councilmember Brewer agreed a $10 fee seemed right; but Boone argued that since the beach is meant primarily for the use of Fairhopers and "they are not the problem" -- a $25/car fee on "out of towners" was more appropriate.
The mayor said he thought that that since federal dollars have been spent there the general public had to have access -- and the fees needed to be "fair and reasonable."
He was to research the matter further to determine exact costs to the city -- and if there is a legal-maximum they could charge, according to any federal or state regulations.
NEW PATROL OFFICIAL TO BE HIRED
Currently, a regular police officer must witness the offense to issue citations for littering, but a new (non police) part-time official is to be hired -- just to patrol the beach and pier areas on weekends/holidays as needed.
Municipal littering fines are $50 for the first offense, and $100 for subsequent ones; councilman Burrell said he thought issuing more citations was the answer, even though collecting the fines on non-residents may be problematic.
For the time being, the mayor said the entrance booth is to remain open later, until 7PM.
Comments