Park board talks fees at Beaver Creek Park

Heavy discussion centered on possible changes in Beaver Creek Park fees during Monday night's Hill County Park Board meeting, with the conclusion being that the board should create a finance committee to help determine what the next best step is.

Beaver Creek Park Superintendent Chad Edgar said that three years ago the board agreed that the need to change fees would be assessed in three years - that time has now come.

Some cabin owners who were present spoke out, detailing how much their fees have risen over the years, with one adding she didn't know where that $400 went.

"I would be opposed to it," she said.

Many wanted to know what the park needed, what the budget is now and how much, if at all, the fees would rise.

Board members said a copy of the budget was in the building, how much fees would rise, if at all, had not been decided, and referred to Edgar for details on what was needed at the park.

Edgar said that previously, money had gone to machinery - such as mowers, a skid steer and a box grater - to safely and efficiently carry out maintenance tasks throughout the park. Now the need is on maintenance of the buildings, such as the interiors of the cabins at Camp Kiwanis.

"There's a large amount of things that still need to be done in this park," Edgar said.

As the discussion continued, everyone in the room agreed a finance committee would be needed. Board members said they wanted to do things right and in a transparent manner, and the public agreed the finance committee would be the proper way to determine the next course of action.

Board member Renelle Braaten said the kind of person the board is looking for in the finance committee is someone who is good with finances and accounting, and someone who is generally interested in the park. She said park board members will meet in two weeks to further determine what the finance committee would look like - how many members, whether it would have subcommittees.

Edgar, who had agreed during the meeting that the committee was the best way to go, said no decision about whether fees will change has been made.

"We are not saying we're going to raise fees - we're just saying we need to look at the finances," he said

The next park board meeting is scheduled for Oct. 3.