The Cape Elizabeth Town Council is looking into one of seven proposed options for charging fees at Fort Williams.

At Monday night’s regular council meeting, a group was formed to analyze the pay/display parking fee option for the park.

Cape Council Chairman David Backer said the pay/display parking system places ticket dispensers throughout the parking area. People would insert cash or possibly a credit card, and a ticket would pop out to be put on the vehicle’s dashboard or somewhere visible for park staff to see.

The group is made up of three councilors; Mary Ann Lynch, Mike Mowles, Anne Swift-Kayatta; three members of the advisory commission and two Cape residents. They have until June 5 to report back to the council.

Backer said the committee was formed because there are still many unanswered questions. Those include, how much will the town charge visitors, if Cape residents would be exempt from the fee and the fee for tour bus parking.

The committee is expected to address these questions and more, said Backer. Backer said the council favored the pay/display over other options in part to avoid charging pedestrians and bicyclists. “That is clearly the direction…the intent is to not charge,” those park visitors, he said.

Fort Williams already charges fees for renting the picnic shelter, bandstand and gazebo areas of the park. These fees are used for the capital improvement budget. Next year’s budget projects these fees will raise nearly $36,000 for the park.

Next year’s proposed operating budget stands at just over $121,000. Park operations are supported entirely by tax revenue.

Fort Williams Advisory Chair Chuck Wilson said the fee is intended to make the fort self-sufficient. He also speculated that if the council chose, they could utilize Fort Williams to offset budget constraints. “If they wanted to, this could be a money making boondoggle,” he said.