INDIAN ROCKS BEACH — Mayor Denise Houseberg wants to pump the brakes on the city’s paid parking plan after a firestorm of public criticism and public misinformation followed the City Commission’s December approval of beach access fees.
“The wheels fell all the way off the bus since the last meeting,” Houseberg said by phone on Dec. 28, calling the blowback “just ridiculous” and criticism of new City Manager Ryan Henderson “uncalled for.”
The commission unanimously agreed to move forward with a proposed six-month pilot program Dec. 9 that would charge $4.50 per hour through the ParkMobile app at 182 public beach access parking spots. The decision sparked intense criticism on social and traditional media, with much of it fueled by misinformation about the program’s details…