
OCEAN ISLE – The majority of council in a Brunswick County beach town voted to institute its first paid parking program, to begin this spring.
READ MORE: Ocean Isle residents debate paid parking to officials, defend visitors’ rights to free access
Ocean Isle Beach Town Council met Tuesday and voted 5-1 (Mike Wade dissenting), after months of discussions and public hearings regarding paid parking. The initial two-year contract will be held by Otto Connect, which will obtain 30% of consumer parking fees collected and 30% of violation fees collected plus $0.49 per payment transaction.
The program is in effect from April 1 through October. 31, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Designated paid parking areas are free from 5 p.m. to midnight and 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., with parking not permitted overnight.
Rates per vehicle are:
- $5 per hour for up to 3 hours
- $20 per day and durations longer than 3 hours (with buy-up to Max $20)
- $80 per week as seven consecutive days from the time of purchase
- $175 per calendar season per vehicle (with buy-up to Max $175)
“SurfCAST by Otto” will scan vehicle license plate for parking permits and enforcement of violations.
The town also approved $50,000 to cover costs of needed signs delineating parking specifics and for the construction of a designated parking lot on the northeast corner of 3 W. Third Street (Old Town Hall Site). It’s for employees of businesses located in the Commercial District and is outfitted with roughly 20 spaces; employees must be registered with Otto by their employer.
Council also signed off on a resolution to request the North Carolina General Assembly allow the town to use its paid parking revenues for any public purpose, not to just fund the paid parking program.
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