Fairfield Tests Parking Meters at Beaches

Jamie Tommins and Justin Hyland have the perfect summer job. As sticker-checkers at Fairfield’s Jennings Beach, the two college students get to hang out by the shore all day and collect a paycheck for the privilege. But if the Parks and Recreation Commission’s latest test program succeeds, machines next year might take their gigs.

“It’s hard to find employment for an 18-year-old kid,” Hyland said. “I’d be bummed if I lost this job. I love this job.”

The commission agreed to install parking meters at Penfield Beach as a test this summer. The machines are designed to allow beachgoers without parking stickers to pay their fees without the need for parking attendants. Residents with beach stickers will still be able to park without much of a change.

“Instead of giving the money to a gate attendant, you’re putting your money in" the machine, said Parks and Recreation Director Gerald Lombardo. He hopes the measure would allow the Parks and Recreation Department to save money on staff in tight times for the town’s budget.

Tommins knows the cutbacks the department has made in recent years. The rising senior at Eastern Connecticut State University started working for Fairfield recreation when he was 16, as a boat boy, helping people with their dry-docked kayaks and rowboats.

But budget cutbacks a few years ago combined that job with his current one in the ticket booth. Tommins also pointed out that his job is more than just ticket taker. He also hears complaints about safety issues and passes them along to the Department of Public Works and makes sure kids at the skate park follow the posted rules. And in the middle of our interview, he excused himself to give a lost beachgoer directions.

“There’s a lot of stuff that we do that’s not technically part of our job description,” Tommins said. “But we just help out with stuff because we have free time.”

Lombardo said he will try to get the meters at Penfield this summer as a test before deciding whether to bring them to all the beaches next year. “It gives us an opportunity, because we’ll still have staff on,” Lombardo said about the trial run. “They’ll oversee it, and help the public learn how to use the machine.”

What do you think about installing parking meters at Fairfield’s beaches? Share your own ideas in the comments below.

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