CAPE ELIZABETH — The Town Council on Monday voted unanimously against parking fees at Fort Williams Park.
The vote follows last week’s non-binding advisory referendum in which residents rejected the parking fee program by a vote of 2,532 to 1,262. The program would have gone into effect April 2011.
In February, councilors voted 5-2 in favor of the “pay/display” program but also decided to seek voter input on the issue.
Voters had rejected a different parking fee program in November 2006.
Councilors on Monday also voted 6-1 against pursuing tour bus fees in the 2011 season. The tour bus fees were not part of the advisory referendum.
Town Manager Michael McGovern advised councilors against implementing tour bus fees without the pay/display system. McGovern estimated that tour bus fees would bring in about $30,000 annually but would be offset by $22,000 in personnel and other costs. McGovern estimated that tour bus passengers, meanwhile, accounted for at least a third of the $450,000 in gross revenues at the gift shop at Portland Head Light.
The fees were considered as a way to make the town-owned park self-sustaining. The town spends about $250,000 on maintenance each year, not including capital improvement projects. The pay/display program was expected to generate more than $400,000 a year. Day parking would have cost $5 and annual passes would have been available for $10 for town residents and $20 for non-residents.
The town’s Fort Williams Advisory Commission on Thursday will review a list of citizen suggestions for generating revenue for the park. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Public Works facility on Cooper Drive.
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