Douglas County School District Board of Trustees and Superintendent Frankie Alvarado accepted a $40,834.18 check from Douglas County. The check is the school district’s share of the revenue from the Warrior Way Paid Parking pilot program implemented June 2023-Sept. 2023. Community Service Director Brook Adie and Community Service Deputy Director Ryan Stanton presented the check.
School Board trustees approved a five-year agreement with Douglas County to continue the Warrior Way Paid Parking Program during Tuesday’s school board meeting after its pilot program brought in $153,730.24 in revenue last year.
Douglas County School District and the Zephyr Cove and Whittell High School parents club each received a share of the revenue Tuesday, which was presented by Community Services Director Brook Adie and Community Services Deputy Director Ryan Stanton.
Adie said the program came before the school board a year ago from Douglas County Assistant Manager Scott Morgan as an idea to implement paid parking on Warrior Way where Zephyr Cove Park, Zephyr Cove Elementary School, and George Whittell High School are, to help offset some of the issues that were happening at the Zephyr Cove Resort.
“In 2023, there was significant use at the beach, including a lot of garbage, and we made national news for the issues that were happening at the beach, so we figured we needed to step in and do something,” said Adie.
Adie said the parking program was designed to accomplish several things, especially to enhance user experience at the beach and work toward helping with some of the capacity issues, sanitation, and garbage.
“We really want people to come and to enjoy the beach, but it was not an enjoyable experience because there were so many people that were using the space,” said Adie.
Since people were parking on Warrior Way, at the schools and the park, Adie said it was a perfect opportunity to not only to help control the capacity at the beach, but to earn some revenue also.
“Morgan came before the board and proposed the agreement between the schools and the county, so that we can share the space and then we each receive a portion of the revenue that is received,” said Adie.
After expenses for the program were taken out, the program raised $111,668.35 by charging non-Douglas County residents parking at the location during the summer.
Proceeds were split between the Zephyr Cove and Whittell High School parents club receiving $30,000, the Douglas County School District receiving $40.834.18, and the remaining $40,834.17 went to Douglas County Community Services.
The fees were all collected through electronic payments, where people scanned a QR code or texted a number to pay for their parking and Douglas County residents were able to enter their zipcode and not be charged.
A license plate reader onsite helped track people who were coming and going to make sure all parked individuals were in compliance with the program rules and to help track any kind of vandalism or problems.
“Over the whole parking season, which started mid-June and went just past Labor Day, 3,467 people paid to park and 605 were Douglas County residents,” said Adie.
Adie said 261 volunteer hours were completed by the Zephyr Cove and Whittell High School parents club.
“The parent club has operated a paid parking program up there for the Fourth of July for many years and when we implemented this program, we wanted to make sure they were still able to get that revenue they did previously, which helps support all of their programs and they received a portion of the revenue as well,” said Adie.
Superintendent Frankie Alvarado said one of his first encounters with a student as the new Douglas County Superintendent was during the pilot program.
“One of my first encounters with a student after becoming superintendent was a student named Oliver, and man, was he paying attention to every car that came in and getting them down,” said Alvarado. “I just sat back and watched him for a few minutes and he was tenacious. He made sure that nobody parked for free.”
Alvarado thanked the county for the partnership and implementing the program.
“This program really does take teamwork and I want to thank you (Adie and Stanton) and the County for this partnership,” he said.
Adie said while this program was up and going the county was working with a consultant to create a feasibility study.
Some of the things that came out of the study is the recognition of enforcement, technology, and signage.
The county was able to forecast potential future revenue in and the ability to continue to operate the program. They also did an inventory of the parking area.
The feasibility study went before the Douglas County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Monday night and they recommended approval to the Board of County Commissioners. The Board of County Commissioners meeting is Dec. 19.
Brook said the new interlocal agreement with the Douglas County School District is similar to the agreement that was brought forward previously with some language adjustments such as, being changed from a pilot program to an ongoing and the interlocal agreement is for five years beginning June 1, 2025, and will terminate on Oct. 1, 2030.
Trustee Linda Gilkerson made the motion to approve the Warrior Way Parking program inter-local agreement between Douglas County School District and Douglas County. Trustee Susan Jansen second the motion and it passed 7-0.
