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PAID PARKING POLICY
JANUARY 2021
OVERVIEW:
The City of Muskegon instituted paid parking at all beaches in the summer of 2020 with the goal
to offset intense maintenance costs at these extremely popular parks. Among the parks,
maintenance includes beach and sand grading, pavement repair, trash clean up and removal,
public restroom facilities, playgrounds, boardwalk repair, patrol, equipment costs, snow removal,
and administration. Due to the popularity of the beaches, a large percentage of the overall Parks
Department budget was spent on just five of the city’s 34 parks. Over the years, other city parks
have suffered because funding was inadequate to cover the maintenance, operational, and
capital needs.
The kiosks used to collect payment at the beaches were also installed at the city’s boat launches
to provide a more convenient and accurate process for collecting fees. While the boating season
is typically April through November, and the enforcement of payment at the city’s launches
matches that season, several launch sites and Harbour Towne beach are used heavily by ice
fishers.
The City of Muskegon maintains this policy with the objectives of:
• increasing revenue for parks and launches,
• providing for improved amenities at parks and launches citywide,
• encouraging healthy outdoor activities,
• enhancing the city’s image
• enhancing our ability to attract visitors, residents and businesses to our community
BEACH PARKING PASSES AND LAUNCH PERMITS:
General
All resident and seasonal beach parking passes and seasonal launch permits will be
stickers which must be affixed to the vehicle’s windshield.
Beach parking passes can be purchased in person at Treasury, Police Records, and Public
Works or by calling Treasury.
Launch permits can be purchased in person at Treasury and Public Works or by calling
Public Works.
Kiosk receipts can be traded for stickers at Treasury, Police Records, Public Works and
participating vendors.
Residents
If requested between February 1 and April 30, two beach parking passes will be allowed
per address.
Requests received after April 30 will result in one beach parking pass per address.
Residency is proven by property tax database.
Non-residents
Daily and seasonal rates will be set in the fee schedule.
Discounted seasonal beach parking passes will be offered to neighboring communities
who agree to purchase a minimum of 100 passes and share the cost of the discount.
Muskegon will discount the beach parking pass price by 12.5% if the neighboring
community further reduces the cost to their residents by another 12.5% resulting in a
25% discount for the neighbor.
ENFORCEMENT:
The city’s goal is to reach compliance with the policy and ordinance. To that end, the following
steps will be taken.
Beaches (except for Harbour Towne Beach)
• Kiosks will operate 24 hours per day.
• Paid parking will be enforced from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm.
• Signage will indicate payment is required only between the hours of 9:00 am and 9:00
pm and will indicate the daily and seasonal rates.
• Enforcement dates are May 15 to September 15.
Launches
• Kiosks will operate 24 hours per day.
• Paid parking will be enforced 24 hours per day.
• Signage will indicate the daily and seasonal rates.
• Enforcement dates are 365 days per year.
• Launch permits are valid until April 30 of the year following the calendar year on the
permit.
• Launch permits are needed for any vehicle launching a watercraft and serve as parking
passes for any vehicle at a launch.
• Beach parking permits can be used between December 15 and April 30 for parking only.
• Seasonal beach parking passes are valid until April 30 of the year following the calendar
year on the pass.
Harbour Towne Beach
• Kiosks will operate 24 hours per day.
• Paid parking will be enforced from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm.
• Signage will indicate payment is required only between the hours of 9:00 am and 9:00
pm and will indicate the daily and seasonal rates.
• Enforcement dates are 365 days per year.
• Seasonal beach parking passes are valid until April 30 of the year following the calendar
year on the pass.
• Launch permits can be used for vehicles parking between December 15 and April 30.
COMMUNICATION:
To ensure the public understands this policy, city staff will undertake the following
communication measures.
• Develop a flyer for posting at local establishments
• Post on social media pages multiple times prior to and throughout the summer season
• Include flyers in water bills for resident communication
• Develop press release for Mlive
• Request story on WZZM
• Add signage at entrances to beaches and launches
• Include instructions with stickers
• Post messages on NIXLE
• Provide educational warnings to violators at the start of each beach and boating season