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02/13/2019 11:01 PMSummer is just around the corner (I hope!) and so it will soon be time to get your beach pass. We’re making some improvements to the system to address problems and complaints we’ve had over the years. No system is perfect, but the changes we’re making this year are tweaks to make what we have better. We haven’t finalized all the details at this point, but I’d like to highlight some of the changes you can expect to see.
Beach passes. Long lines at the Beach & Rec Office, running back out to your car to get your registration, realizing you have the wrong registration, realizing you have the wrong car, and then coming back and having to stand in line again—we’re doing away with all of that. You’ll be able to buy your beach pass online right off the Beach & Rec website 24/7, so you don’t have to wait in line at the last minute. We’ll be selling them earlier this year as well, so that we can extend the season at both ends.
Speaking of beach passes, your license plate will now be your beach pass. No more agonizing about affixing it to your windshield (a major problem for some people, believe it or not). We’ll have your information from last year and notify you when passes go on sale. If you have a new car or plate, we’ll just add it to the system.
An app for parking. If someone from out of town comes in and wants to buy a pass, they can log onto our parking app and buy their parking pass right there. No more long lines at the gate because gate guards have to sell passes. This will make it easier for your guests as well.
Gate guards. Over the years the kids who tend the gate for us have had to deal with a lot of things, including confrontations with people who are angry that they either haven’t got a pass or forgot their pass. We’re going to eliminate gate guards at all beaches since people can now buy their parking when they get there. You, of course, will already have your pass because you will have bought it online in April.
The 5 o’clock out-of-towners. One of the big complaints we get from residents is that people from out of town wait until 5 o’clock when the gate guard leaves and then come in and get to use the facilities for free. With our new system, we will be able to extend the hours so that everyone will be paying parking fees.
Enforcement. We will have park monitors equipped with license plate readers who will patrol and determine who hasn’t paid for their parking. These readers only identify a plate that hasn’t paid, not whose it is, so there are no issues of confidentiality.
One of the best aspects of the new system is flexibility. We will be able to identify problems as they occur and fix them within the existing framework. In addition, we anticipate an increase in revenues and a potential savings on personnel. Stay tuned!