Select Board asks staff to design a paid-parking pilot for two downtown lots

After extended discussion about logistics, equity and revenue, the Wellfleet Select Board on July 21 agreed to ask town administration to prepare a paid-parking proposal that would pilot pay-by-plate enforcement in the Town Hall and Press Hall municipal lots and provide cost, enforcement and resident-sticker options for the board’s review.

Supporters said a pilot limited to the two municipal lots would let the town test systems and public reaction without deploying town-wide infrastructure. "A pilot gives us a way to work out the kinks on a smaller profile," a board member said during debate. Several members stressed that marina parking remains a high priority for the Marina Enterprise Fund and asked that an implementation plan for the marina be developed in parallel.

Administration summarized implementation options, noting a mix of app-based payment and kiosks (for users without smartphones) is common in neighboring Cape towns. Staff also flagged enforcement needs and possible police-staff implications. The Desmond study commissioned earlier estimated potential annual parking revenues (gross) in the hundreds of thousands; board members said they expect pilot revenues to be considerably lower while allowing the town to test assumptions.

Board members asked staff to: present startup capital and operating-cost estimates for the two downtown lots, propose resident-sticker controls or exemptions, outline enforcement options (including how many parking officers or automated enforcement vehicles would be required) and recommend a seasonal or annual schedule. The board indicated it will consider funding the startup costs via a warrant article and will retain residents’ exemptions as part of the system design.

The board did not adopt a final fee schedule or enforcement plan; it instead asked administration to return with a detailed proposal for the two-lot pilot and parallel planning for marina parking implementation.