Sunset Beach council delays 2026 paid-parking decisions after residents raise safety and fairness concerns

The Sunset Beach Town Council on Nov. 3 postponed final decisions on the town’s 2026 paid-parking program after residents raised safety and fairness concerns and council members asked for additional information from the contractor.

Council discussion opened with a revenue update reported during the meeting: the paid-parking program generated $465,926 through October, and October receipts alone were $20,625, the council was told. The council debated whether to shorten the parking season from Oct. 31 to Sept. 30, how to structure resident registration fees and whether private contractor AutoConnect should handle off‑season enforcement.

Multiple residents urged the council to delay substantive action until the newly elected council takes office the next day. “Please allow this new council to begin to work,” Mary Jo Kennedy told the council, saying a new body should “shape the decisions.” Ignacio Marino similarly asked the council to defer what he described as an unfair decision about an extension of the town administrator’s contract.

Concerns from the public and some council members focused on safety and on practical effects for residents and businesses. Bob Chung, a Sunset Beach resident, said parking on Main Street created sight‑line and driveway hazards and warned that adding more spaces could increase pedestrian and bicyclist risk. “When do we say no more?” Chung asked, urging enforcement of the town’s UDO driveway standards.

Council members also weighed options for resident passes and fees. One council member summarized current registration pricing as $25 for one registered vehicle and $50 for two; alternative proposals discussed included a $10 per-vehicle registration fee or a $12.50 per‑vehicle option that would address contractor processing costs without returning revenue to the town.

The role of the town’s contractor in off‑season enforcement was a central question. The vendor’s representative had proposed continued enforcement during Nov.–Mar. for an estimated $2,000 per month; Police Chief Klamer told the council his department already conducts daily patrols and that hiring a contractor for off‑season enforcement “would be upside down” financially and was not his recommendation.

After extended discussion and public comment, a council member moved to delay final action for 30 days to allow follow-up with AutoConnect and to give the incoming council time to review the options. The motion to table until the Dec. 1 meeting carried.

Next steps: council staff were directed to invite the contractor to the December meeting to answer outstanding implementation questions and to prepare options on season length and resident-pass pricing for further discussion.