Gulf Shores, Ala. – (OBA) – Looking to address parking issues in the beach walking district, Gulf Shores is looking to add more paid parking. The streets involved are just north of the beach, an area where residents and business owners have raised concerns. Residents with hurricane decals will not be charged for parking.

The city council will discuss the changes to an ordinance on fees and a resolution to expand the paid parking at a work session on June 1 at 4 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall. The changes will “encourage daily parking turnover and discourage overnight parking to support local businesses and address their expressed concerns.”

Paid parking will be added to the following areas:

• East First Street
• East First Avenue
• East Second Street
• West First Avenue and
• West Second Street

“Parking in each of these areas is currently free per the existing structure, which has created increased concerns from business owners about overnight parking and the lack of parking turnover in front of businesses during the day,” a memo from Economic Development Coordinator Blake Phelps states. “To address these concerns, staff are proposing to update the current parking ordinance to convert all public parking within the beach area to paid parking and to shift from the current daily fee to a more user-friendly hourly fee.”

The city already has paid parking at West Fifth Street, West Sixth Street, West 10th Street, West 13th Street, and Lagoon Pass Park. The hourly rate will range from $2 to $4, depending on the time of day and whether the parking areas are on the north or south side of Beach Road or State Route 182.

“Staff have met with multiple business owners to discuss the proposed updates and have received positive feedback from them all,” Phelps memo states.

During the work session, the council will also discuss:

• Authorizing the demolition of the home at 1420 W. Lagoon Ave. and entering a contract with Samons for $16,000 for the work. The city first notified the property owner in October of 2024 and awarded a bid for the work on March 9. The formal authorization will likely come in the June 8 regular session.
• Reappointing Doug Hillis to the Library Advisory Board for a four-year term ending on May 13, 2030.
• Renewal of a franchise for Waste Carriers to provide collection and disposal services for construction and demolition debris.
• Awarding the bid for various street signs for one year to Vulcan for $30,000. The contract contains an option to renew for two additional one-year terms.
• Borrowing $23 million to pay for infrastructure projects and pay off a current line of credit. The city will borrow the money from SouthState based on an analysis by Davenport and Co. SouthState offered the lowest rate, at 4.2 percent, with no prepayment penalty.
• Adding $900,000 in revenue to the general fund will help pay for salaries and equipment for the police and fire departments.
• Awarding the bid for a command trailer for the fire department from Truck Builders for $239,000.
• Annexing the property at 19175 Oak Road W. into the city from unzoned Baldwin County near the city’s Sportsplex.
• An agreement with Motorola Solutions to convert “two legacy records management systems that need to be converted to our current system for record retention and preservation,” a memo from Police Chief Dan Netemeyer states. The contract is for $40,077.
• Two assembly permits for the Big Beach Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5K on Jan. 30-31 and the Sea Turtle and Sweetheart Running Festival on Feb. 13. Both events will have headquarters in the area of the Hangout.
• Amending an ordinance “to establish a clear and consistent framework for the adoption, amendment, administration, and enforcement” of the employee handbook. The ordinance change would also abolish the personnel board.