The Muskegon City Commission voted Nov. 10 to authorize a multi‑part overhaul of beach parking sales that will move the city to a T2 pay‑by‑plate system, upgrade kiosks to Verizon‑compatible modems, and add a web portal to buy daily and seasonal passes.

City staff presented data showing the parking program collected more daily revenue in 2025 even as season‑pass issuance fell. Staff said an earlier buy‑one‑get‑one (BOGO) promotion (Dec. 10–Jan. 16) generated about $55,000 in revenue from roughly 2,794 passes. Staff also noted beach citations tied to missing beach passes dropped from 5,205 in 2024 to 3,155 in 2025, which they said likely correlates with pass use and enforcement practices.

Public Safety Director Tim Coles and Parking Manager Ashley Mayer said the T2 system lets customers buy passes online and register license plates so enforcement no longer requires a physical sticker. Kiosks will be upgraded with keyboards and Verizon modems because staff found Verizon provided the most reliable connectivity at the beach. Staff also described an online “gift” option so people can buy passes for others via an e‑gift link.

Commissioners pressed staff on digital access and privacy. Mayer said the system associates a plate with a purchaser and payment data required by the card processor; it is not a location‑tracking system and is not tied to state lien or arrest systems. The portal will include optional zip‑code capture to collect tourism origin data, but staff said ZIP entry is optional and payment processors do not necessarily make ZIPs available to the city.

The commission approved a $4 discount for annual passes and a $3 discount for daily passes when purchased through the new portal, and voted to authorize staff to run a seasonal BOGO promotion (staff said the intent is the month of December). The vote was taken after commissioners agreed kiosks and in‑person BOGO options would remain to preserve access for residents and people without reliable beach connectivity.

Staff will return with implementation details — including final BOGO mechanics, the exact timeline, and any outreach needed to make the online portal accessible to older or lower‑connectivity residents.

Next steps: staff will complete kiosk upgrades, finish the portal build with the vendor, and publicize the discount and BOGO window ahead of the winter sales period.