Board talks rules at Beaver Creek Park

A member of the Hill County Park Board said Monday she thinks the board at times gets hung up on following the rules set for the operation of Beaver Creek Park.

Renelle Braaten said during Monday’s Park Board meeting during a discussion of a cabin owner bringing his property in compliance with lease requirements that different people have different needs and desires at the park.

“Why not listen to what it is they need, and if it’s not a problem then let them do it … ,” she said. “Why are we so adamant about not working with people.”

Braaten said she had worked with a cabin owner, whom the board had required to tear down some additional outbuildings that violated the lease and to at least tear down the walls on two other additional outbuildings.

The cabin space leases allow for one outbuilding and an outhouse in addition to the cabin.

Board members said that the work done so far still does not meet the requirements they set in a variation last year. They said they would not allow any additional variations.

Board member Larry Kinsella said the cabin owner needs to make the changes as agreed to in a letter he signed.

Board member Robbie Lucke said the problem is not following the requirements to begin with and not following the changes agreed to.

“Because breaking a rule is always a problem,” he told Braaten.

“No, it isn’t,” she replied.

Park Superintendent Chad Edgar said letting some people vary from the rules creates the problem that then the next person will want to do the same thing.

Board member June Grabofsky said the cabin in question already has what is needed, and more variations are not necessary.

Board member Jeff LaVoi, a Hill County commissioner, said if the board wants to allow people to vary from the rules, it needs to change the rules — which is fine, if that’s what most cabin owners want, he said.

He added that if changes are made, it has to be a decision of the entire board, not one or two members.

LaVoi said allowing variations to the rules makes it impossible to enforce the rules.

“If I were in violation out there, I would laugh at you if you try to enforce something,” LaVoi said. “We’d end up going to court because you’ve set so many precedents now to change things.

“Why make a rule? Why come to (the county commission) and want us to write an ordinance to enforce something when you don’t want to enforce the ones that are there now?

Or else change the rules if everybody’s in favor of that.

“Let’s get on one page or another,” Lavoi added. “If you want to let it all go, that’s fine if that’s what the board wants.”

Braaten responded that she doesn’t think the board needs to let everything go.

“You need to listen to the cabin owners who have certain needs for certain things,” she said. “Not everybody’s going to want the same thing, and you can’t expect everybody out there to want or need the same thing.”