County never answered my question about whether it could legally discriminate against non-residents in parking charges, without violating the Constitution's privileges and immunities clause and dormant commerce clause. Now, we know: without answering the question, controversial County Administrator MICHAEL DAVID WANCHICK is dropping the oyster and leaving the wharf.
St. Johns County Administrator: Beach parking plan comes up short
Posted: August 10, 2016 - 10:39pm | Updated: August 11, 2016 - 6:39am
By JAKE MARTIN
jake.martin@staugustine.com
St. Johns County commissioners on Tuesday will hear a follow-up report on proposed changes to beach parking fees that County Administrator Michael Wanchick says come up short of addressing the problems they were meant to fix.
The commission at its July 26 meeting voted 4-1 to move forward with a plan to start charging for off-beach parking and to increase on-beach parking fees — with caveats that county residents wouldn’t pay more and that people who are more than 70 years old and/or veterans would get a discount regardless of where they live. Commissioner Bill McClure voted against the motion.
Wanchick told The Record on Wednesday the initial purpose of implementing a parking plan was to generate funding for an ongoing shortfall in the beach services budget.
“We walked in with a recommendation from the consultant that would have solved the current and, really, ongoing deficit in beach services,” he said. “The program that the board asked us to evaluate at that meeting doesn’t deliver anywhere near that much revenue. It doesn’t solve the deficit. It’s considerably short.”
According to county documents, the county’s General Fund has subsidized its Beach Services Fund by nearly $4 million, cumulatively, since 2007. Beach expenditures since 2009 have increased at a rate in excess of 10 percent annually. Meanwhile, revenues — principally from on-beach parking fees — have declined.
County consultant Public Financial Management had unveiled a plan to increase rates for both off-beach and on-beach parking at St. Johns County lots — for all beachgoers — that would have brought in an estimated $1.6 million. According to Wanchick, the plan supported by the commission would only generate a little over $200,000.
He said the deficit in beach services is projected to be $866,000 for the upcoming fiscal year alone and that what was originally proposed by the consultant would not only have solved the deficit but provided additional revenue for improvements along the beaches.
Tuesday, commissioners can make a determination whether they want to modify how they would like to move forward or whether they want to pursue changes at all.
“The challenge there is you’re putting together a program to implement a solution, but it doesn’t solve the problem,” Wanchick said. “You’re putting a potentially unpopular program in place and not generating the revenues that you had hoped to generate. That’s really going to be the discussion they’ve got to have.”
In St. Johns County, residents and non-residents currently pay a fee for on-beach parking at nine access points. Off-beach parking at the 13 county-operated lots, which provide a total of 1,056 spaces, along with surrounding roadsides, is provided free.
Richard Goldman, president and CEO of the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & the Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau, said he wouldn’t expect too big an impact on tourism if the proposed changes to off-beach parking were implemented. He said visitors, particularly those coming from outside the county, generally expect to pay for beach parking.
But there are more issues than just the numbers.
At the county’s July 26 meeting, St. Augustine Beach Commissioner Andrea Samuels voiced concern about the plan causing more cars to park in neighborhoods and the need for more parking enforcement as a result.
At the Beach Commission’s Aug. 1 meeting, several ideas circulated relating to the county’s plans to charge for parking, including at the county pier in St. Augustine Beach.
During a discussion on D Street parking east of A1A Beach Boulevard, commissioners supported having City Attorney Jim Wilson and staff gather information and bring back a proposal on residential parking permits. The city had already prohibited parking on that section of D Street after people complained about issues with visitors parking on the right of way.
Commissioners talked about parking needs in general and more about the county’s parking study, at which point Samuels brought up that the county’s consultant for the parking plan did not reach out to St. Augustine Beach in the process.
St. Augustine Beach Mayor Rich O’Brien said he sat down with county administration Wednesday morning to discuss the beach parking situation and improving communications between the two governments.
O’Brien said his understanding from the meeting was the county’s study was a preliminary one, exploring economic feasibility only, and that St. Augustine Beach would have more input as the process plays out.
“I did discuss with them that, as the discussions go on, we would like to be a part of that,” he said. “They probably should have let us know, but they said they did plan to include us in the next phases.”
O’Brien said his concerns included being fair to city and county residents in terms of charging for parking and the effect any changes might have on parking in surrounding residential areas.
“One hundred percent of the visitors I’ve talked to expect to pay for parking at the pier, and they’re shocked there’s not a charge for parking,” he said. “To the extent that people will seek out other spaces that are free, I think that’s human nature sometimes.”
He said the permitting system the city attorney is looking into could move forward with or without changes to the beach parking fee schedule.
“It’s more of a system where the property owners themselves could park in the right of way, and, this is important, in an approved and improved parking spot,” O’Brien said.
He said, for example, someone could apply to the city to improve a spot in front of their home where they could park an extra car or use it to their discretion for guests.
“I think that’s something that could possibly move along, but we would have to have a comprehensive plan to do that,” he said. “It’s still in its infancy.”
Wanchick said many of the issues that have been raised, such as how charging for beach parking might affect farmers markets, concerts and other business considerations, will have to be worked out in the coming months.
“This has always been a phased process,” he said.
Implementation of a new beach parking fee schedule could start in early 2017.
COMMENTS
Thomas Francis Reynolds 08/11/16 - 11:28 am 64 No such thing as a free parking
There is no such thing as a free ride or a free lunch or free parking. Somebody is paying ! In this case of Beach Parking, it is the St John County Residents who are PAYING. When everybody splits the cost it makes it fairer for all who use the service(user fees). As it stands now just the St Johns County Residents are paying, even the ones who don't use the Beach. I am tired of paying for the Tourist and I'll bet my fellow residents are to. Of course, I am a Conservative and the Elected people running the County and Cities in St Johns County are not. I don't know what they are, my guess, Give Away Artists.
The County Commissioners, Jeb Smith, James Johns, Rachel Bennett, John Jay Morris and Bill McClure just recently refused to raise the Hotel Bed Tax one point. Giving those well to do Tourist a break. But those Sweethearts/Commissioners just raised the bus Fare on the Disabled and the Retirees who are NOT getting an increase (COLA) on their Social Security checks. Plus the working poor folks get to pay more to take the bus to work. Great work County Commissioners ! Some more of that "Living up to the DUH" right here in St Johns County Floor a DUH !
Now getting back to Beach Parking. It is rather simple. Just not here ST Johns County Government, County Administrator Michael "Wanchuckles" Wanchick is in charge. Discounted Passes for the Residents who live here and use the Beach. FULL PRICE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT LIVE HERE and want to use OUR BEAUTIFUL BEACHES !
...........St Johns County Off Beach Parking Rates......................
County Seniors and Veterans .............. $30.00 a year
County Students....................................$50.00 a year
County Residents..................................$75.00 a year
Non-County Residents..........................$ 250.00 a year
Daily Visitors between 8 am and 8 pm.. $ 1.00 an hour
................On Beach Rates MUCH HIGHER ..........................
Now County Commissioners Morris and Bennett want FREE parking just raise the County Sales tax 1%. Morris and Bennett s answer to everything is raise the Sales Tax. But not the Impact/Developers Fees, H E double hockey sticks NOoooooo !
Now St Augustine Beach Parking lots should use the same off Beach Parking Rates as the County. When it comes to the residents neighborhoods put Parking Meters in everywhere. Then issue an affixed sticker with proof of Residency for $5.00 a year. Keep it SIMPLE BABY ! PAY YOUR WAY !
Now King Rich e Rich O'Brien and Queen Andrea Angry Samuels, two City Beach Commissioners, are doing "THE BIG SHOW" because it is an Election year. They are pretending that the Beach Parking problems have just started. HELLO YOUR MAJESTIES..........it has been going on for the many years you two have been in office(way to long). Yes King Rich e Rich O'Brien and Queen Andrea Angry Samuels we know you have been busy taking care of yourselves and are doing a GREAT JOB at that. But as CRAZY as this will seem YOUR MAJESTIES, you two should have been working on this BEACH PARKING YEARS AGO FOR THE BEACH CITY RESIDENTS !
So King Rich e Rich O'Brien and Queen Andrea Angry Samuels.... YOU OWN IT !
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