The Board of Road Commissioners listened to resident concerns over the past month and finalized a set of regulations for this year's Onset Parking Permit Program, which will run through Oct. 31. None of those residents, however, were heard when the Road Commissioners met Monday afternoon.

About 75 residents filled the Town Hall auditorium for the Road Commissioners meeting, which was open to the public but didn't allow for any citizen participation. This seemed to confuse many in attendance who thought they could voice their concerns with the program to the board. Commissioners made their final votes on amendments to the Onset Permit Parking Program.

"This is one of our regular meetings, we're not taking public comment," said Sara Forrest, who was voted chairperson of the Road Commissioners at their last meeting.

The Commissioners voted to run the program seasonally, through Oct. 31, as opposed to the original plan which was to have the program's regulations in place year-round.

The Commissioners voted to make four seasonal visitor passes available per household for $5 a piece, as opposed to the original plan where residents have go to Town Hall for guest passes when they anticipate visitors.

Harbormaster Garry Buckminster, who was instrumental in creating the program but is not a Road Commissioner, said that residents would be able to keep the passes in their homes.

"This way you don't have to keep coming back to get visitor permits," he said.

Those who currently have a two-week visitor pass can exchange it for a seasonal one. The Commissioners also voted to not issue tickets to anyone parked within a quarter-mile radius of churches during services, and that the "resident-only" zones would be enforced at all hours.

While the changes to the program for this season were finalized, Commissioners said some of the options they are exploring for next season include allowing one free resident parking permit per household and increasing the ticket for non-residents who park in the "resident-only" zones to $100. For this season, fines will stay at $30 and there will be no free parking passes for residents.

Forrest said she is in favor of including one free permit per household, but that it would be too confusing to include this year, and that changing the tickets that were already printed for this year would, "cost the town more money than the tickets would be worth."

Forrest also mentioned the possibility of changing the price of resident stickers next year.

"I think were gonna try and separate ourselves from the dump stickers and the parking stickers," Forrest said, "Not everybody utilizes the dump. We're looking at maybe changing some of the prices with that [next year]."

Selectman Peter Teitelbaum, who was in attendance at the meeting, explained that Selectmen were previously the authority over public ways and roads, but voters at the 2010 Fall Town Meeting changed the town charter to create a separate seven-member Board of Road Commissioners who would oversee the roads.

At their June 3 meeting, Selectmen recommended the Road Commissioners adopt a plan that included free parking for Onset residents in the "resident-only" zones, but the Commissioners adopted the parking program with fees intact at their June 12 meeting.

Forrest said the Commissioners would meet at a forum open to public discussion in the fall to consider further changes to the program next summer. The Road Commissioners can be reached by email at roadcom@wareham.ma.us.

Resident Janet Laffey said she was upset residents were unable to voice their concerns at the meeting. She said one of her problems with the program was that the signage around town was too high, unreadable, and somewhat confusing.

One resident, before leaving near the end of the meeting, stood up and said "You guys are closing Onset. It's unbelievable."

While residents could not participate during the meeting, most of those in attendance were able to speak with the Commissioners and other town officials present for quite some time after the meeting was adjourned.

"The program was poorly designed and should have been resolved in the spring so they weren't scrambling to make changes now," said resident Mary Lou Payton. She also shared the concern that many residents had at a previous Road Commissioners meeting--that the $30 fine was simply not a strong enough deterrent for non-residents to illegally park on Onset streets.

But not all the residents at the meeting were upset with the program.

"On the plus side, making it seasonal was a major positive, said resident Margot Rudin. "I like the program so far. There are going to be kinks that need to be worked out."