Newport residents will soon enjoy free parking at Easton’s Beach year-round, while non-residents will see increased fees under changes approved by the City Council on Jan. 8.
The council unanimously passed updates to the beach amenities fee schedule, which was last modified in 2019. The changes aim to enhance revenues to support operations while simplifying access for Newport residents.
Eric Reis, Newport’s Recreation & Beach Administrator, presented the proposal to the council. He explained that the beach has seen significant increases in expenses since the last fee adjustment.
“Our seasonal wages since then are about 35% [higher], mainly due to lifeguarding and trying to retain and recruit lifeguards,” Reis said. “This past year we spent $288,000 [on] lifeguards.”
Reis noted that contract services costs have risen 119% since fiscal year 2020, from $54,000 to a projected $120,000 this year. Utilities costs are also up 24%.
Under the new structure, Newport residents with a valid resident parking sticker will be able to park for free at Easton’s Beach throughout the year. Previously, residents had to purchase a separate beach sticker during the summer season.
“It gets really messy and it’s hard to get the word out as far as getting consistent message out,” Reis said of the current system. “So really, you know, with the amount of stickers and the little net loss that we take, it would make sense to kind of streamline things.”
Non-resident daily parking rates will increase to match those at Second Beach in Middletown. Reis said this aligns Newport with other major beaches in the state.
The changes sparked discussion among council members about residency requirements and potential revenue impacts.
Councilor David Carlin raised concerns about non-residents who possess Newport parking stickers being able to park for free. He noted that some people who live in Newport less than seven months per year have resident stickers.
“Those folks, they are contributing to Newport in one way or another because they have a Newport City sticker. But those folks … are not Newport residents. They don’t live here,” Carlin said.
Reis acknowledged that he does not oversee the resident sticker program and was unsure of the exact parameters to obtain one. He confirmed that anyone with a valid Newport resident sticker would be allowed to park for free under the new system.
Councilor Lynn Ceglie praised the elimination of fees for residents but suggested the council may need to revisit residency requirements for parking stickers in the future.
“I think given more time we could better serve the interest of the committee,” Ceglie said.
The council ultimately approved the changes unanimously, with members expressing support for simplifying access for residents while increasing revenue from non-resident beachgoers.
Reis said the beach will use web-based recreation software to manage non-resident parking, eliminating the need for physical stickers. Visitors will enter their information and license plate number online.
The fee changes come as Newport looks to invest in improvements at Easton’s Beach. Councilor Napolitano noted that parking revenue, which has totaled about $2 million over the past two years, currently goes to the city’s general fund rather than directly supporting beach operations and maintenance.
“I think in fairness, and we talk about equity, I think the equity would be to make sure that we can support the beach and give it what it needs,” Napolitano said.
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