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Park board flags long-term funding risk if Space Age sale proceeds; hazard tree work noted
Summary
Ravalli County park board reported tree-removal work and warned that the possible sale of a major private contributor, Space Age, could reduce a key revenue source; the board asked commissioners to consider long-range funding options.
At the May 8 meeting, the Ravalli County park board presented its FY26 preliminary items and reported completed hazard-tree removal on Christopherson Lane and additional hazard trees identified at Lodge Park. Board members said they will confirm whether volunteer groups like Rotary can remove some trees or whether contracting will be required.
Park board members raised a separate concern: a long-standing private contributor (identified in the meeting as Space Age ceramics/operations) may be for sale, and the board warned that the county’s park program currently depends in part on revenue from that business. Park members urged commissioners to discuss long-term revenue alternatives, including potential recreation districts, mill-levy options, or selling surplus parcels that the county no longer needs.
Board members noted the county has cash-in-lieu receipts from subdivisions but that statutory changes and prior legislative actions have reduced some developer-derived funding; they said some funds are restricted (maintenance-only) and they are reviewing parcel histories to determine which properties could be sold or reallocated. The board asked for a strategic planning session with commissioners to examine long-term park funding and asset disposition.
No formal budget adoption occurred; the board and commissioners agreed to continue evaluating maintenance classification of funds and potential parcel dispositions.
