Following referendum, Town Council
formally rejects Fort Williams parking fees
Following the Nov. 7 public vote against a "pay/display" parking system at
Fort Williams, the Town Council formally and unanimously rejected the proposal
for collecting parking fees from non-residents at the park..
Town Councilor Mary Ann Lynch, who came up with the proposal and led a task
force to study the feasibility of a pay/display system earlier this year,
made the motion for rejection.
"It was not a hard motion," Lynch said at the council's Nov. 13 meeting.
She moved that the council reject the pay/display system, and accept the
results of the Nov. 7 referendum, where voters also rejected the pay/display
proposal 3,145 votes to 1,951.
"I'm happy with the result, because over the years people have talked about
this issue, and I think it's wonderful. The turnout was great and it's a
convincing vote," Lynch said.
Parking fees would have been earmarked for park maintenance and improvements,
but officials are seeing the Fort Williams parking-fee referendum as an
inspiration to find alternate means of funding for the park.
At the Nov. 13 meeting, Council Chairman David Backer read a letter written
that day by Joel Russ, chairman of the private
Fort Williams Charitable Foundation,
who also said he was pleased with the outcome of the referendum. The foundation,
Russ said in his letter, "is excited about putting the foundation to work
in appealing to Cape citizens and others who may enjoy the park benefits
to help us build a healthy endowment and financially support park improvements."
The proposal to charge non-residents to park at Fort Williams was met with
public opposition earlier this year. Councilors narrowly defeated the pay/display
proposal at their August meeting, then voted to set the proposal to a non-binding
referendum.
The proposal would have established a system of solar powered kiosks at Fort
Williams parking areas where visitors could insert payment and receive a
sticker indicating that they had paid for parking. Cape Elizabeth residents,
displaying transfer-station decals on their vehicles, would not have been
required to purchase parking stickers.
Councilor Anne Swift-Kayatta, who had proposed that the pay/display proposal
go to referendum, said she was looking forward to working collaboratively
with the Fort Williams Charitable Foundation to explore other means of supporting
the park. She, along with other councilors, viewed the referendum as a source
of new funding energy. Russ' letter said the foundation has scheduled a meeting
with the town's Fort Williams Advisory Commission, and was looking forward
to meeting with the council as well.
Backer, as chairman, said he urged the council to meet with foundation members
early in the next council year to "seize the momentum that's out there today."
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