Wellington beach fee to be eliminated; review of boat launches coming

Some of the litter picker volunteers on Wellington beach. – Sharon Harrison photo

By Sharon Harrison
The summer fee for folks to get into Wellington beach is to be eliminated in exchange for better monitoring.

First introduced in 2021, the $10 per person beach admission fee had been in effect from early June to mid-September on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (9 a.m.-5 p.m.), for those age 16 years-plus. The fee for County residents, who obtained the ‘Summer Pass’ in advance, was waived.

Council agreed to eliminate the fee at Thursday’s committee of the whole meeting as recommended in a staff report as part of the Community Services, Programs and Initiatives department’s 2024 Tourism Management Plan (TMP) for the upcoming season. The plan goes to council for final approval March 25.

Instead of an admission fee, it is proposed the function of monitoring and caring for the beach should be provided with MAT (municipal accommodation tax) funds to be used for a ‘beach steward’ summer contract position designed to “add value to the beach, rather than manage admission”.

“This position would monitor the beach, proactively clean garbage and washrooms, do light maintenance tasks, assist beachgoers generally, and initiate procedures with bylaw officers or OPP should overcrowding or bylaw violations occur,” said the report’s author, programs supervisor Julianne Snepsts.

The position is intended to be five days/week (up from two to three days when the admission fee was first charged), and with shorter work days aligning with peak beach use times.

Councillor Brad Nieman asked why the County employees that currently empty garbage etc. on weekends cannot be utilized rather than hiring new staff. Staff confirmed existing employees were already over capacity, and added the new role would include additional tasks.

A motion put forward by Nieman to use existing staff resources on the weekend and during the week, to consider hiring a new employee for Wellington beach management, and eliminating the proposed beach steward position, failed.

“Anybody that uses our parks, on the weekends in particular, knows that our staff is already stretched, really beyond their capacity to maintain them,” stated councillor Janice Maynard.

The report included a detailed description of the proposed 2024 Tourism Management Plan, beginning with an overview of what tourism management planning is, and how the municipality goes about this work.

Snepsts explained the TMP is an annual plan for ensuring the municipality is contributing to a sense of readiness for the summer season and noted it has evolved a lot over the years.

“It started as a response to a crisis, and the challenges of over-tourism that we were experiencing in the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said. “But it’s now a lot less about managing people and behaviours, and more about communication and collaboration, and making some investments in things that improve our readiness for the summer season.”

She said when it comes to spending the TMP budget, and the municipality’s share of the MAT, focus has been made on the overlap between resident needs and wants, and needs and wants for visitors to the community.

“The recommendations are spot on,” said Mayor Steve Ferguson. “We did what we had to do to respond to a crisis and it was always the intention to gradual wind it down.”

A tourism management budget of $119,750 was approved as part of the 2024 operating budget. The report describes how the funds would be spent should council endorse the workplan and budget.”

Last year (2023), the beach reached capacity only once, and while there were busy days, overcrowding was not a daily concern.

The report noted the average attendance on days when the beach was staffed was 233 (down from 446 in 2022). At the end of the season, the revenues generated at the beach gate ($25,074) were roughly $2,000 more than the cost of staffing the gates.

“The analysis suggests that there is not an attendance reason, nor financial justification for continuing to staff the gates and charge admission,” said Snepsts.

“Having said that, when the public was surveyed as part of a PEC Summer Pass review, 72 per cent agreed with the statement: “Wellington Beach should continue to be controlled in order to monitor the beach and prevent over-crowding on weekends and holidays”.

FOOD VENDORS
Food vendors at Wellington beach were introduced in 2021 because the gated admission program limited “in and out privileges” for beachgoers, and it was considered important to offer food service if guests could not leave and return.

The temporary use bylaw permitting food vendors at the beach is due to expire in May 2025, and staff are proposing up to two food vendors should continue to operate during the summer for one more year before evaluating the program.

NEW PROJECTS

The public washrooms at Mill Pond Park (Bloomfield)  – Sue Capon photo

The proposed workplan includes two projects that could enhance the County’s parks program, where the report noted that since 2022, the municipality has been engaging artists to paint assets in municipal parks.

“In 2024, staff are proposing the municipality beautify the benches slated to be replaced in the Bloomfield Mill Pond park, as well as the County transit bus bench on Main Street. Beautification adds to the park/streetscape and has proven to be a successful deterrent for vandalism. Beautification will also draw attention to the transit services available in the village.”

The second project is to create a depot to support washroom and parks services using a shipping container on the grounds of the Wellington and District Community Centre, as a one-time project.

Park supplies, equipment and staff are deployed out of a Picton location and so by adding a Wellington depot, staff state it will improve service levels for busy parks in Carrying Place, Consecon, Hillier, Wellington and Ameliasburgh.

“This is proposed as a way to shorten response times and increase the level of service for high-volume parks and washrooms in the western County.”

HUYCK’S POINT & BAKKER ROAD
No changes to Huyck’s Point and Bakker Road are being proposed and it was noted there are preferred parking spaces reserved for PEC Summer Pass holders at both locations, with no-parking areas along the roadsides, intended to reduce crowding and maintain emergency vehicle access to the end of these roads.

With the elimination of the Wellington Beach admission fee for summer 2024, the PEC Summer Pass will remain and continue through 2024, but would be limited to parking privileges at Bakker Road and Huyck’s Point.

Maynard suggested consideration to re-opening some of the roadside parking at some of the less-visited areas on the western shore, i.e. Stinston Block Road, and places that didn’t see much use last year.

SUMMER PASSES
A review of the PEC Summer Pas program last fall noted that through more than 1,600 survey responses, staff learned that generally, “the public values this program as a way of monitoring and managing access to water access points”.

Further, it was noted 2024 will be the transition year to phase out old passes and introduce new ones.

“In 2024, residents will be able to re-use the yellow PEC Summer Passes that they obtained in 2022 or 2023 as long as the vehicle information on the pass is still valid.”

The yellow passes would be phased out at the end of 2024 and anyone requiring a new pass in 2024 will be issued a new design, which will be valid for three years and include an expiry date.

“This phased approach will start to stagger the renewal years for pass holders, reducing the on-going administrative burden for staff and the public. Staff also predict a decline in the total number of pass registrations in 2024 and beyond, owing to the removal of Wellington Rotary beach from the program.”

BOAT LAUNCHES
There will no changes to the operation of municipal boat launches in 2024.

“The public will continue to pay for parking at the launches, with rates for trailered and non-trailered vehicles, season-long passes available, with a discounted rate for residents.”

The report also indicated that the municipality will continue to operate the West Lake boat launch at the Cer-A-Met location.

“The Wellington Rotary beach boat launch will remain open, including on weekends and holidays, with the option for staff to restrict access to the launch as part of an emergency beach closure protocol.”

Councillor Brad Nieman objected to having to pay $10 to take his grandchildren fishing for 10-15 minutes.

“Is there a provision we can put in there for somebody that wanted to take their kids or grandkids fishing, so that they don’t have to pay? asked Nieman.

Snepsts confirmed the way the program is currently set-up, anybody parking at the boat launches between May and October needs to have a valid parking pass, which is $10 for an un-trailered vehicle, for the day.

Relating to the boat launches, Ferguson asked if any thought has been given to adding parking to the seasonal pass, so if you’ve got the pass you can park at the boat launch.

“I look at the pass as an opportunity to add amenities for our residents, throughout the season,” said Ferguson.

COA Marcia Wallace said enforcing a temporary parking area in 10 or more locations is not simple.

“We raise around $50,000 a year in revenue from this, and there is also the ability to buy a boat launch pass, which gives you unlimited parking all year long, and you don’t pay the daily rate,” she said.

A review of boat launches is expected to come before council by the end of the year.