Parking Permit, Certificate Rates Rise in Freehold Borough

The cost of parking permits in Freehold Borough will see an uptick in 2013.

At the Monday, Freehold Borough Council meeting the council unanimously agreed to raise the price of certain permits, certificates, and fees, in order to help cover costs. While the costs are being increased, according to the council, the price raises are comparable to neighboring towns and in some cases still less expensive despite the increase.

"What this does is it increases parking permit fees to $48. Then it will increase each year after. Currently, parking is 6.5 cents a day, we need to change that, it doesn’t cover too much," said Councilman George Schnurr.

When these resolutions were introduced at the Nov. 30 meeting, Schnurr said the Freehold Center Partnership agreed upon these increases.

"What this is going to do is take the Market Yard parking from $24 to $48. The following year it will rise to $72, and $96 the year after that. When you take a look at it, $24, which is what we are currently charging, doesn’t cover anything per year – you’re talking pennies a day. The fee structure was discussed with the Freehold Center Partnership, they’re the employees that are going to be paying this, and they actually are the ones that came up with the fee structure."

According to the newly passed resolutions, new costs for this year are listed below.

Vehicles and Traffic

• Market Yard Parking Area: $48
• Court/Broad Streets Parking Area: $48
• Broad/West Main Streets Parking Lot
  • Freehold Borough resident: $120
  • Non-Resident: $180
  • Lost permits can be replaced $2
  • Special permit for one-day parking: $3
  • Any person convicted of violating any provision: $25 fine

The resolution further explains that a retired resident who lives on property adjacent to a designed parking lot, which does not have available parking, can have the permit fee waived upon application to the borough clerk. Permits will be issued after the beginning of the annual period that will begin on the first of the year, and fees will be prorated for each quarter remaining from the effective date.

Vital Statistics

• Certified copy of birth, marriage, civil union and domestic partnerships certificates: $15
• Correction of record birth, marriage, civil union and domestic partnership: $15
• Burial Fee: None

Fees have also been increased for Land Use Procedures. At the Nov. 30 council meeting, these resolutions were introduced and Schnurr explained that despite the increases for Land Use procedures, the prices are still low.

"These are the fees that applicants would have to pay when they come in front of a board such as the land use board or planning board. I think the last time they increased the fees was 24 years ago at least. What we did was take a look at what other towns were charging and made sure we were a little bit less than that."