Talk Of Wilmington Beach Fee Increase Leaves Residents Hot Under The Collar

WILMINGTON, MA -- It's not easy being a Selectman in Wilmington these days. Over the past month, each meeting of the five-member board has had at least issue that has raised the ire of residents. On Monday, it was a preliminary discussion on whether or not the town should raise the nonresident fee for use of the town beach at Silver Lake that had the board's constituents needing a way to cool off.

"All of my non-resident friends stopped coming entirely because the fee was ridiculous," Brandy King posted on Facebook, setting off a flurry of similar comments. "$30 for a mom and two kids to come to Silver Lake? It's cheaper to go to the ocean!

Wilmington officials are considering raising the $10 daily fee nonresidents pay to use the town beach on Silver Week in order to keep it free for residents. The beach ran a deficit of $20,632 this year, the highest in at least five years. Additionally, a statewide shortage on lifeguards means Wilmington may be forced to more frequently cap the number of swimmers using a beach on the hottest day of the summer.

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While the fee is designed to keep the beach free for residents, it still poses a hardship for people who want to bring out-of-town guests during the summer operating season.

In a presentation to selectmen Monday night, Recreation Director Karen Campbell attributed the deficit to a variety of factors, including three consecutive yearly raises in the state minimum wage and fewer good weather days meaning fewer nonresident passes sold. Wilmington started charging the daily nonresident fee in 2014 after a summer when "all the problems came to a head," Campbell said. She outlined scenarios where trash accumulated, lifeguards were overworked and police were called to the beach. She said residents had complimented the department on the improved conditions at the beach since the fee was put in place.

Selectmen took no action after Campbell's proposal. Town Manager Hull suggested the board take it up at a future meeting. Any fee increase would have to be approved by selectmen. Selectmen made it clear they do not want to charge a fee for residents to use the beach. But they also worried that the $10 fee for nonresidents may be too expensive and asked if it not offering nonresidents offer some sort of season pass for nonresidents could present a hardship for some families.

Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).