Pay up: Bay County charging for parking at M.B. Miller Pier to help with operational costs

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Free public parking is a thing of the past at the M.B. Miller Pier.

As of April 12, it costs $12 a day, or $2 a hour, to park in any of the approximately 300 parking spaces at the pier, which is located on the east end of the Panama City Beach area and overseen by Bay County. The paid parking program was designed to help reduce the pier's burden on local taxpayers.

"This new parking initiative ensures that the people who are using public parking at the pier are also helping pay for the continued maintenance and operations costs of the facility, rather than the expense being borne by all Bay County taxpayers," Keith Bryant, chief of infrastructure for Bay County, said in a press release.

Bryant noted annual parking passes for the pier's lot also are available for $80. This breaks down to about 21 cents per day.

According to Valerie Sale, spokesperson for Bay County, the M.B. Miller Pier was constructed using tax dollars. Up until the launch of this new program, its operational costs were covered by the county's general fund, which is fed by taxes on local residents.

Sale added that this pier — not to be confused with the Russell-Fields Pier across from Pier Park in PCB — is not a net positive amenity for the county, meaning it does not earn extra money that can be used to offset its expenses.

"What this does is ensure that somebody living in Fountain, who never goes to the beach or never uses that parking lot, isn't footing the bill for the operations and maintenance of it," she said. "These don't seem like exorbitant fees to me."

Daily parking at the county pier, as well as annual parking passes, are paid for using the Passport Parking app. The release states signs will be placed throughout the area that feature QR codes. Once scanned, patrons can download the free app and create an account with their vehicle and payment information.

Those who park at the county pier will receive a text alert when their spot expires. From there, they can extend their parking session without returning to the vehicle.

For longtime Beach resident Jack Bishop, the paid parking program is an interesting idea; however, he worries it might create some hurdles for the county. On one hand, Bishop believes officials should do a better job of monetizing the pier, and paid parking might be a way to do that. On the other hand, he said it might be difficult to enforce.

Bishop, who has lived in the area since 1967, is the owner of Capt Jacks Family Buffett. The family owned restaurant has two locations, one of which is near the county pier.

In response to his concern, Sale said the county plans to install cameras to help with enforcement. Once the cameras are in place, owners of vehicles who use park without paying will be mailed a bill for the time they spent there.

It should also be noted that those who pay for parking at the county pier are not then required to only use the pier. They can still go down to the sandy beach, or even leave their vehicle for the day and explore the city.

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"I am no stranger to the county pier dilemma," Bishop said. "I would like to see them monetize the county pier better, but I think paid parking is going to be a challenge. ... It's one of the most valuable pieces of land (in) the entire (area)."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bay County: You must pay to park at M.B. Miller Pier