This sign taped to a parking kiosk on John F. Kennedy Boulevard last year speaks for itself.
By Donald Wittkowski
The neatly handwritten sign taped to the front of the parking kiosk on the beach block of John F. Kennedy Boulevard makes things about as plain as they can possibly be.
“No Charge After Labor Day!” it declares in big black letters punctuated with an exclamation mark for extra emphasis.
If anyone ever needed a reminder that parking is free in Sea Isle City after Labor Day, then that is it.
The city does indeed stop charging for parking after Labor Day as a money-saving perk for residents and visitors who are still in town after the bustling summer tourism season gives way to the quieter autumn months. Moreover, beach tags are no longer required after the holiday.
Sea Isle spokeswoman Katherine Custer said City Council passed an ordinance a few years ago rolling back the parking charge after Labor Day as an extra incentive for people to continue visiting Sea Isle during the fall.
Anthony McCaul, of Norwich, Conn., and his aunt, Karen Kuzer, of Fort Myers, Fla., stick money in a parking kiosk on Labor Day, the last day Sea Isle City charges for parking for the summer season.
The city lets the public know that parking is free after the holiday by posting information on its website and in the Sea Isle Visitors Guide next to the fold-out map, Custer noted.
“Yes, we definitely give people information about when meters are in effect,” she said.
However, the city did not slap the “No Charge After Labor Day! sign on the parking kiosk on JFK Boulevard, she added.
She had no idea who did it.
By the way, the parking fee starts up again on May 15. It’s $1 per hour.