Parks staff brief board on campground revenues, maintenance projects and capital work amid county budget scrutiny

Clallam County parks staff told the advisory board the parks enterprise generated nearly $968,000 in gross revenue in 2022 and incurred about $795,000 in expenditures that year, leaving roughly $173,000 when those lines were offset, according to figures presented at the meeting.

Staff cautioned that those figures do not capture all maintenance wages and shared departmental costs because the current financial system does not assign all maintenance worker hours to job‑cost centers. Parks staff said the financial summary is a high‑level presentation and that staff will follow up with more detailed month‑by‑month occupancy and collections reports.

Why this matters: the county’s parks program relies on revenue from campgrounds and grants for capital improvements, and staff said they are preparing proposals to increase shoulder‑season bookings and to pursue discretionary grants and capital funding.

Projects and operations noted at the meeting: staff reported a set of near‑term maintenance and capital projects, including a metal roof replacement and pipe chase work at Salt Creek Recreation Area (described as part of a Recreation and Conservation Office deferred maintenance grant), a delivered storage structure kit for Dungeness Recreation Area, and an awarded contract to fabricate a ramp structure at Clallam Bay County Park that staff hope to install before Memorial Day.

Staff also described an autopay kiosk rollout at multiple sites: concrete footings and electrical contracts are in place, communications lines are in progress, and satellite communication hardware (Starlink) has been ordered for kiosks; staff said they remain on track to have kiosks operational by Memorial Day and are integrating merchant card processing and testing.

Camp David and campground revenue: board members asked about Camp David occupancy patterns and shoulder season opportunities; staff said Camp David is heavily booked through most of the summer season (staff reported it is booked roughly 90% of the main season) and that staff will present ideas for increasing off‑season usage and revenue in upcoming meetings.

Salt Creek decline and accounting: board members expressed concern about a large drop in Salt Creek revenue year‑over‑year; staff said they need time to reconcile reservations, occupancy and collections records and will produce a billing/occupancy report by month to identify whether declines reflect lower bookings or collection issues.

Budget context and countywide review: county administrator and county staff took questions about broader county budget pressures. The county administrator told the group that staff are conducting a county‑wide review of programs and budgets, emphasizing the need to identify statutory core services, examine costs, and evaluate revenue options well in advance of budget hearings. Staff said parks improvements beyond the county’s current funding will require either grant awards or explicit budget decisions and that capital improvements to the newly acquired Dungeness property will be phased to avoid precluding reservoir or infiltration projects.

Next steps: parks staff said they will deliver a more detailed financial reconciliation (including monthly occupancy reports) within weeks and plan to present a rough order‑of‑magnitude for park development funding at the April board meeting. Staff also said they will coordinate volunteer groups for trail and parking improvements and proceed with planned maintenance work while pursuing grant opportunities.