Bus fees shelved

Cape council tables Fort Williams plan

Technically, the decision made by Cape Elizabeth town councilors Monday was to take the idea of charging buses a fee to enter Fort Williams Park, and place it on the table.

However, to judge be their tone, they might have kicked it under the couch.

“I’m actually opposed to this, because we had a vote last year to keep the park free,” said Chairman David Sherman. “Personally, I don’t see the difference between someone in a bus and someone in their SUV.”

“I don’t think it’s equitable to have fees for buses when we don’t have fees for cars,” agreed Councilor Anne Swift-Kayatta, “and I speak as someone who was for parking fees for cars.”

Having now tabled the matter, councilors agreed to discuss it in an informal workshop setting at some later date, as yet to be determined.

Entry fees to the popular town-owned park, home to the world-famous Portland Head Light, have come up before, in 2006 and again in 2010.

Although it was under no compulsion to do so, the Town Council took the idea to a public vote each time, and each time the proposal was soundly defeated by Cape Elizabeth residents.

It may be surprising that taxpayers would eschew an easy source of revenue. After all, they pony up a pretty penny to keep the grounds looking postcard perfect – $244,015 this year. And that’s just for routine maintenance. It doesn’t count capital projects, such as buttressing the old military batteries on site, or the half-million dollars it takes annually to run the Head Light itself.

With that in mind, it’s not hard to see why local officials have been hot for any potential sources of revenue. After advising town councilors earlier this year to allow food vendors into the park for the first time, the Fort Williams Advisory Commission voted May 19 to advance the idea of charging an admission fee to all bus tours and trolleys that pass though the front gate, beginning with the 2012 season.

According to Bill Nickerson, the commission’s chairman, 783 buses entered Fort Williams Park in 2010. At the recommend rate of $40 per tour – excepting buses from rec programs, nonprofits and eldercare facilities – plus a $1,500 annual fee for each trolley making regular runs into the park, Cape Elizabeth could expect to clear $35,860.

Those who’d bear the brunt of that burden were predictably opposed to the fee proposal during Monday’s meeting.

Michael Foye, a tour guide of Intercruise Shoreside and Port Services, which runs tours from the cruise ships that enter Casco Bay, said his company ferries 23,000 people into Fort Williams Park on 525 bus trips during its 33-day season.

“If you do that math – $40 times 525 buses – it’s over $21,000,” said Foye. “This is a significant impact on us. And all these people we let off in the park, they go into the gift shop and generate a lot of revenue for you.”

“The negative impact of this fee will be far reaching,” agreed Jeanne McGurn, owner of The Maine Tour Connection. “By imposing fees on motor coaches and trolleys, you are discriminating against a generation of senior and mature travelers.”

But it was not only business owners negatively impacted by the fee proposal who rose up against it. Rank-and-file taxpayers also were among the dissenters at Monday’s meeting.

“Twice we said, ‘No fee,’ and I think that’s what we mean,” said Bill Enman. “It’s ridiculous that this keeps coming up again and again. If necessary, I will go to the street and I will force a referendum where you people will have no option. Then, it will be all over and done with.”

Councilors were quick to match the prevailing winds.

“I appreciate the work of the Fort Williams Advisory Commission, but I feel that I need more information,” said Swift-Kayatta, noting that in its recommendation, the commission made no mention of how fees would be collected. Surely, she presumed, staffing would be required, and that would eat into the potential revenue. More concerning, she said, a fee might result in lower attendance. If that were to happen, she asked, how would it impact sales at the gift shop, and among the food vendors?

“I am very nervous about that [projected revenue] amount,” said Town Manager Michael McGovern. “In no way does it reflect any of the costs involved. My belief is that this needs a little more study, and a little bit more work. The numbers before you are not complete in terms of both sides of the ledger.”