PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson County is seeking public comment on proposed Parks and Recreation Department fee increases and changes to the county’s fee policies.
It will hold a public hearing on June 12; the location and time have not yet been announced.
Parks and Recreation Manager Matt Tyler on Monday presented the proposed new fee schedule for campgrounds, event shelters, the Recreation Center and Memorial and HJ Carroll athletic fields to commissioners at their regular meeting.
The new schedule would start this year and run through 2029.
Park use increased an average of 18.2 percent a year since 2009, but fees have not been updated since 2014, Tyler said.
Campgrounds, which are primarily used by visitors, would see the largest fee increases, although they would still cost less than comparable campgrounds in the area.
For example, a one-night stay at a site at Upper Oak Bay in Port Hadlock with no hookup would rise from $20 a night to $25 a night this year and increase $5 annually until 2029.
A one-night stay at a campsite with no hookup costs $31 for a non-resident at a Clallam County park and $40 at a Washington State park.
The purpose for modifying the way the county adopts and amends fee policies, Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Barbara Ehrlichman told commissioners, was to make the process more transparent, easier for the public to understand and less cumbersome.
To access the proposals, go to Monday’s commissioners’ agenda at tinyurl.com/2mtjdcb3, pull down “Related Docs” and click “PW PR Fee Schedule Change Fee Sys Ord to Res”
To submit a public comment to Jefferson County commissioners, email jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us.
