Barnstable Taking a Close Look at Increasing Fees

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Barnstable Town Hall.

BARNSTABLE – The Town of Barnstable is taking a closer look at a set of proposals that include increasing fines for parking violations and creating a wine and beer license for inns and for art galleries.

Town councilors were recently presented with the proposals by consumer affairs supervisor Elizabeth Hartsgrove, in an aim to recoup costs and stay competitive with other towns.

Hartsgrove also laid out plans to initiate a $25 fee for correcting faulty scales to save a business from having to close while they call someone to fix it.

The proposal was the result of a year-long study in which Hartsgrove looked at the demographics and fee structures in towns throughout the Commonwealth.

“All of these are not associated with how much revenue we can generate, it’s just making sure that we can recoup our costs,” said Hartsgrove.

She acknowledged that the recommended fee increases reflect actual costs to the town, in that the town collects $17,000 in licensing private parking lots, but it costs the town over $27,000.

“It’s just dependent on how many people use the services, whether it would be licensing, I don’t know because these are all brand new categories, so I don’t know how much this is going to generate,” said Hartsgrove.

Parking violations, like parking in front of a fire hydrant, would increase from $25 to $100 and parking in a fire lane would go from $50 to $100.

There would also be an increase in parking in an expired meter from $25 to $40.

Town council continued the hearing to their meeting next Thursday.

By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter