By Scott Sullivan
Editor
Oval Beach parking fee hikes passed last spring helped net Saugatuck a $123,931.04 profit this season, figures shared with city council at its Nov. 6 workshop show.
Treasurer Nicole Bredeweg told members increasing day-use motor vehicle passes from $10 to $15 and season passes from $50 to $75 helped raise total collections from $600,126 in 2023 to $815,400.34 this year.
“Oval Beach is our only revenue-generating park,” said public works manager Scott Herbert, “apart from gazebo rentals in Coghlin and Wicks parks. “It helps us maintain all our city parks.”
These include Mt. Baldhead Park and the Saugatuck Harbor Natural area, both contiguous to Oval Beach; plus Cook, Willow and Village Square parks, which are downtown like Wicks and Coghlin. The city maintains the donated Peterson Preserve as well.
The beach fee hikes made up for a drop in day-use pass sales from 49,118 in 2023 to 43,371 this just-passed Memorial through Labor Day weekends season.
On the other hand, nonresident season-pass sales rose from 1,930 in 2023 to 2,014 this summer. Resident passes, which remained $20, rose in sales from 375 to 419.
“Maybe more people looked at how often they came,” speculated councilmember Holly Anderson, “and decided this year buying season passes made more sense.”
Oval Beach capital outlay rose from $21,257 last year to $30,839, almost all based on adding a wi-fi satellite connection to the concession stand roof last month.
Overall park expenses from $600,307 in 2023, with buying new Village Square Park playground equipment then for installation this spring, to $387,326 in 2024 so far this calendar year.
