John Shore, a summer-home owner at Alcova, told the County Parks and Recreation Board of Trustees that current county contract language for selling trailers at Alcova limits sellers to five potential buyers and makes listing “irrevocable.” Shore called the rule “a horrible, horrible government overage, and it’s an asset,” and asked the trustees to place the topic on the board’s agenda for a formal vote.
The trustees and staff described limits on the county’s authority because the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) holds the underlying land and is party to the management agreement. Michael Brown, parks director, said the issue “is a little more complicated than that,” adding, “the Bureau of Rec is involved and they don’t wanna be your landlord anymore or my landlord, and they’ve made that very clear.”
Trustee Pierre and other board members told Shore the trailer-sale process is unfair to owners who invest in their summer homes. “It’s anti private property rights,” Pierre said, and he urged trustees to collect public comment and prepare a written position that the Board of County Commissioners could use in next year’s contract renegotiation with the BOR.
Why it matters: the selling rules determine whether owners can market to all interested buyers or are limited by the county’s lottery process; that has financial and practical consequences for families who use trailers as summer homes. Board members said the county’s management agreement with the BOR and the lot-permit language limit the board’s unilateral ability to change the process, but they pledged to gather public input and pass a formal position for the county commissioners to use in renegotiations.
Discussion vs. decision: the trustees heard public comment and discussed options but took no formal vote to change the process. Brown and board members said the county must coordinate any final change with the Bureau of Reclamation and the County Commissioners; Brown noted the lot permit between the county and a trailer permittee expires May 19, 2026, and the management agreement with the BOR runs to 2041.
Community context and next steps: trustees recommended placing the issue on a future parks-board agenda, collecting public input and, if warranted, drafting a resolution to supply the Board of County Commissioners during contract renegotiations. Shore and other speakers asked the county to remove the “irrevocable” language, provide sellers with the full lottery list rather than only five names, and otherwise allow sellers more ability to complete private sales without mandatory removal of structures.
Ending: trustees and staff said they would review the contract language and coordinate with the County Commissioners and the BOR; no change was adopted at the meeting and any revision will depend on interagency negotiations and the timing of the permit and management-agreement renewals.