Fernandina Beach commission moves procurement forward on paid parking after months of public outcry

The Fernandina Beach City Commission on Aug. 19 moved the city further down a path toward paid parking downtown after a months-long public debate that produced petitions, rallies and more than a dozen speakers at the meeting.

City Manager Sarah Campbell summarized the procurement process leading to the night’s vote: staff issued an RFP in May, received seven proposals, evaluated and shortlisted three firms and convened community engagement events. The initiative is intended to fund three capital priorities the commission cited repeatedly—construction of a downtown seawall, the demolition and reconnection of the Brett’s waterfront property, and broader downtown infrastructure repairs—which staff described as beyond the normal capacity of the general fund.

The meeting’s public-comment period was dominated by residents and business owners who opposed implementation without a public vote. Speakers said paid parking would drive locals away, harm small businesses, impose technology burdens on elderly residents and churches, and create surveillance and privacy concerns where vendors use license-plate cameras. Petitioners told the commission more than 700 registered-city voters had signed to require a ballot referendum.

Supporters argued the downtown’s infrastructure is aging and that visitor user fees could shift costs away from local taxpayers. ‘There comes a time when you can’t just say the money is there,’ said resident Pete Stevenson, urging action to stop decades of deferred maintenance. Several speakers urged design features such as discounted or free resident passes, time-limited free slots, and resident-exemption windows to reduce hardship for regular downtown users.

Commission deliberations were long and fractious. Some commissioners who said they had personally opposed paid parking in the past described seeing no feasible alternative: raising millage, a general-obligation bond or selling city assets all carried political or legal limits, they said. Other commissioners said the political unpopularity of paid parking and the pending petition justified pausing for a direct vote. The commission ultimately amended and adopted a motion to proceed with staff and vendor negotiations on the preferred vendor model (the motion on vendor ranking was seconded and put to a vote during the meeting process).

The commission directed staff to return with contract terms and an implementation plan, including resident-discount options, enforcement parameters and proposed ordinance language to authorize enforcement. Commissioners also asked that contract and implementation discussions occur in public forums: staff and the city attorney said the technical negotiation can be done by staff but recommended workshops and public meetings for final terms and operational details so citizens can see the proposed fees, resident-pass rules, enforcement hours and technology choices before a binding contract is finalized.

Officials emphasized the petition and potential referendum remain live. Several commissioners said if a valid citizen initiative qualifies for the ballot and prevails, the city will comply with legal obligations and honor the vote; they also warned that reversing a revenue stream after the city relied on it would require the commission to identify other funding sources for already-approved capital commitments.

What happens next: staff will enter negotiated talks with the selected vendor under public direction; the commission requested workshops and a public implementation process to vet resident discounts, enforcement tech, hours and exemptions for churches and short visits. The petitioners are continuing to gather signatures toward a referendum. The commission did not finalize every implementation detail on Aug. 19.