Park Board meeting fraught with technical issues

Monday’s meeting of the Hill County Park Board, held online only, was plagued by technical issues and confusion among attendees, with members of the public barely able to hear members of the board and Zoom timing the meeting out before its adjournment.

Most members of the Board met in person, setting up a laptop in an attempt to allow the public to attend online, but the chat was filled with requests for clarification throughout because member’s voices were largely impossible to hear.

Hill County Commissioner Diane McLean attempted to keep the members of the public, who could only attend online, appraised by typing updates in the chat box, from which most of the following information comes.

The location of a new cross fence, proposed by the grazing committee months ago to prevent overgrazing by cattle in areas of Beaver Creek Park, was discussed at a recent meeting of that committee, the chat said.

The past few meetings of the board has seen concern and protest from cabin owners based on the proposed location of the fence, with many arguing it would be ugly and goes against the idea of the board’s mandate to preserve the natural environment as much as possible.

Beaver Creek Park Superintendent Chad Edgar has argued that the environmental damage of overgrazing of some areas by cattle on the park needs to be addressed somehow, and the fence is the last resort, as they had exhausted all other possible solutions.

The grazing committee in its recent meeting stayed with the original proposed location of the fence as the proposed alternative location across Alkalai Springs had hills and coulees that are too steep.

The chat said a motion to accept the committee’s recommendation was made and seconded.

During the ensuing discussion Edgar said it will take some time before he can get bids for the project and get them ready for presentation to the board.

The report on the chat said the intent is to start construction this summer if possible.

The motion was approved, with McLean adding that maintaining the fence in the alternate location would have been difficult, given the brush and potential for snow accumulation in the area as well.

The board discussed the park’s beaver trapping policy.

The report on the chat said Board Chair Tony Reum indicated that he and Edgar had been discussing it and Edgar had some ideas.

The chat said no written policy is set at this time and the board had already voted in its June meeting to continue trapping as in prior years.

The board discussed delinquent cabins on the park and that all of those cabins’ fees have been paid.

It was suggested that the board look over inspections and recommend going forward.

Edgar inquired as to how many cabins are in poor condition.

Assistant Superintendent Aubrey Williams said she did not know.

McLean suggested summaries be made about cabin deficiencies then the board can give a time frame for getting owners into compliance by June or July.

Edgar and Williams agreed and said they would summarize poorly maintaited and neglected cabins and bring their findings to the board’s January meeting.

Edgar began providing details about recent park usage, but part way into the explanation the Zoom meeting timed out.

He said park usage was slow because it’s hard to get around in the park.

He said some areas had enough snowfall to give people a chance to snowmobile, and ice-fishing is still happening on Bear Paw Lake.

Some snowshoe hiking is going on with a few cabin owners making use of their property, but that’s about it for usage.

He said there are still cattle on the park with some coming off this week.

It was at that time that the Zoom Meeting timed out.

McLean said in an email this morning that there wasn’t much more of the meeting left and the public only missed the tail end of Edgar’s park usage report.

Williams said she will get a summary of the report ready and posted to Beaver Creek Park’s Facebook page as soon as she can.

She said if anyone had public comment, they can email it to the park and it will be read/shared at the beginning of the next meeting.