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Anoka County parks to pilot cashless entry at Bunker Beach; water and sewer connection scheduled before summer
Summary
Parks officials said the county will pilot cashless point-of-sale at Bunker Beach Waterpark this summer and complete a water and sewer connection in time for Memorial Day weekend; further trail and road work will occur in the fall.
Anoka County Parks Director Jeff Perry told the county board on April 7 that the county will pilot a cashless point-of-sale system at Bunker Beach Waterpark for the 2025 season and will complete a water and sewer connection to city utilities before the summer season.
Perry said the pilot will place kiosks outside and inside the park gate that convert cash into debit-card-style cards usable within the park. He emphasized there will be no fees for converting cash to the card and that unused balances will function like a Visa card. “It’s going to really save efficiencies, for staff cash handling, going to the bank, filling the cash stores, counting it at the end of the evening,” Perry said, citing staff-safety and operational benefits.
Perry also reported that county crews will finish the water and sanitary connection to the city of Ramsey (city name redacted in remarks) by Memorial Day weekend so the campgrounds can open and the waterpark can operate on municipal water instead of well and septic. He said most construction tied to other trail and road improvements will occur in the fall to avoid disrupting peak summer operations; Bunker Beach’s scheduled opening day is Saturday, June 7.
Why this matters: The cashless pilot affects park patrons, seasonal employees and concession operations. The water and sewer connection will move park utilities from well and septic to city systems, which county staff said will reduce operational costs and maintenance burdens.
Operational details and outreach: The parks director said the county will provide public information via the Anoka County parks website and Bunker Beach pages as opening day approaches. He noted the water/sewer project completion timeline is intended to permit campground openings for Memorial Day weekend and that trail and road construction tied to Bunker Hills will be communicated in advance to park visitors.
Board response: Commissioners supported the plan and asked for public updates. Commissioner Gamache noted the county’s timing strategy to complete the water connection ahead of the summer season and to do trail construction in fall to minimize disruption.
No vote was required for the cashless pilot or the project status report; the items were presented as informational updates.
