Park board looks at Beaver Creek improvements

The Hill County Park Board looked at a multitude of suggested improvements to Beaver Creek Park at its monthly meeting Monday, ranging from changing signage to selling permits on the Internet.

The board did not take action on any of the ideas raised, choosing instead to do additional research on each topic and look at them again during future board meetings.

The first issue raised was the address signs for cabins in the park. The board and audience reached a consensus that wooden numbers, likely painted yellow in park colors, prominently displayed would be the best way to show cabin addresses.

Rose Cloninger of the park cabin association said she would contact Bruce Finneman, Havre High School wood shop teacher, to see if making the numbers might be something his students could do as a class project.

Park Superintendent Chad Edgar raised another signage idea during the meeting. Edgar said he would like to update the signs at campsites and other park locations, more clearly marking locations and possibly putting up signs about how people should use the park.

“I want a committee to help me decide where we want signs and what they should say,” he said.

The board agreed to appoint a committee to look at that issue.

Board Chair Steve Mariani said that project would not have to be something done all at once — for example, the committee could start working on how to add signs to some or all of the 11 reserved campsites, then move on to additional areas.

Another topic was upgrading the Web presence of Beaver Creek Park, including offering online sale of park permits.

Board member Renelle Braaten said she has been talking to a local business to see what could be done, and what it would cost, to put up a secure website allowing people to purchase one-day or season permits online.

Braaten suggested a page could be designed and linked to the Hill County government’s Beaver Creek Park page allowing people to purchase the permits. She said more could be added to that location as well, such as a “Frequently asked questions” section.

Edgar also talked about permits, specifically how they could be displayed.

The park board has discussed for more than a year having some way of displaying permits so park staff members can more easily see if vehicles are legally on the park. One-day or season permits must be purchased for any use of the park.

Suggestions have included permits that could be hung, such as off of a rearview mirror, or removable vinyl decals that can be placed on a window.

Edgar said he had looked into the cost of a permit that would have a light adhesive to be stuck on a bumper or a window. He said he opposes having hanging tags or removable vinyl decals because it would be too easy for people to loan them to people who do not have permits.

Mariani suggested doing something to educate park users might help — an education campaign telling people they need to clearly display their park permits in their vehicles.

“The park permit needs to be visible,” he said.

The board agreed that the issue needs to be further researched and discussed before any decision is made.

“We need to keep hammering until we figure it out,” Mariani said.

The board also agreed to a suggestion from representatives of the cabin owners association that it look at the square footage allowed for outbuildings, with a request that the size be increased from 100 square feet to 200 square feet.

Mariani said he saw some cabins in the fall inspection that had more than the allowed space, and that the board should review that issue at a future meeting. He said that changing the amount allowed requires the county commission passing a resolution to change the cabin lease agreements and would be a lengthy process if the board proceeds with it.

The board also applauded some help provided by Friends of Beaver Creek Park. Edgar said he had picked up a new oven the Friends had purchased for the Beaver Lodge at Camp Kiwanis.

“And it is beautiful,” Edgar said. “It’s stainless steel, it’s for the lodge and it’s brand new.”