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Bonner County parks director warns of custody, funding and federal-perpetuity limits for Bonnet Park West and fairgrounds playground
Summary
Parks and Waterways staff told commissioners they need quicker decisions and funding to manage parks this season, and flagged that Bonnet Park West was built with Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) funding — a federal constraint tied to perpetual water access that affects any proposed change in custodianship or use.
Bonner County’s Parks and Waterways director reported staffing shortages, grant closeouts and a growing list of maintenance needs, and urged the Board of Commissioners to make timely decisions about who will manage the fairgrounds playground and other parks.
The director told the board the county had been “kicking this can down the road since December” on the fairgrounds playground management question and that staff are getting repeated public complaints. As a short-term step, Parks staff plan to provide a one-year, emergency funding estimate next Tuesday to cover maintenance while the county decides the longer-term custodian arrangement.
The director also raised a specific legal constraint for Bonnet Park West: the site was developed with a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant. “That park was built on a land and water conservation fund, which is through the feds, and that was to have water access in a park into perpetuity. So ... Bonner County is the custodian of that perpetuity,” the director said, urging commissioners not to alter custodianship or uses without addressing the federal conditions tied to the LWCF funding.
Why it matters: changes in park custodianship or use could be constrained by the LWCF federal requirements and could require federal approval or mitigation. The parks director said a proposed change that would alter water access or convert the park to a marina-like use could “change the use of that perpetuity” and complicate any handoff to a city or other entity.
Staffing and funding: Parks staff asked the board to consider a full-time assistant or coordinator to manage grants and field operations. The director described the program as “complex” and argued that the department’s small head count and grant-driven funding model make sustainability difficult without added administrative support.
No formal decisions were made. The director said staff will present a short-term funding memo for the fairgrounds playground next Tuesday and urged the commission to expedite a long-term decision to prevent further deterioration and public complaints.
