Business leaders decry jump in parking tickets

Palm Beachers fear they are getting fleeced by the town's enforcement of parking violations. Ticket revenue is way up and there is anecdotal evidence that enforcement is more diligent and persistent. There are many areas were there is pay parking at meters, and the rates are expensive. There are other areas of town where parking is free, but your stay is limited and enforced by chalking tires. Many employees are forced to use these spaces and then move their car to another space before the end of a two hour limit to avoid a ticket. The best spot to park, I have found, is the first block of Chilean, off of South Ocean Boulevard to County Road. That is very near Town Hall and they tend to overlook that block's time limit due people parking cars there for Town business. This is especially true on meeting days (Town Council, ARCOM, etc.). Or, at least that used to be the case.

Click title for link to article. Here is some of the reaction. Notice the mention of the county-wide hotel occupancy from this season:

County-wide hotel occupancy increased 3.5 percent from January through March of this year compared to the same period last year, according to tourism statistics compiled of Palm Beach County. Year-to-date numbers show Palm Beach Count’s tourist development tax collection was up 12 percent.
Laurel Baker, executive director of the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce, said she hasn’t noticed significantly more visitors to the island, but she has noticed that parking enforcement officers are out earlier and longer, and they are more diligent in their tasks.
“We have received an increased number of complaints about the enforcement and the high costs,” she said. “The costs are excessive given the low inventory of parking and the lack of alternative approaches to the on-going problem.”