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Mobile County to move park reservations online; commission reviews new RV, pavilion and arena rates
Summary
County staff described a switch to RecDesk for pavilion and amenity reservations and proposed revised RV campground, pavilion and John Archer Arena rental rates; commissioners asked about online access, pricing categories and discounts for veterans and seniors.
Mobile County officials said the county will move pavilion and most amenity reservations to an online system and proposed new campground and facility rates, including a tiered pricing scale for large events and discounts for veterans, seniors and county residents.
County parks staff briefed the Mobile County Commission conference on a plan to adopt RecDesk, an online reservation platform, to handle pavilion and amenity bookings currently being made through a platform better suited to RV reservations. “RecDesk is an online software ... that we will use to make reservations for the public to make reservations, to pavilions and amenities other than the RV campground,” Matthew (parks staff) said. Staff said park employees will be able to make reservations on tablets for visitors who prefer in-person help.
The switch is paired with a proposed overhaul of rates. Staff said monthly RV campground rates would be set at $600 for Escatawpa and Chickasabogue campgrounds and $500 for River Delta; a 10% discount would apply for active military, veterans, seniors and Mobile County residents. Pavilion and event pricing for for-profit groups would be tiered by expected attendance, with a range provided from $400 for the smallest groups to $1,500 for events with more than 800 participants. The proposal also establishes rental rates and membership options for the John Archer Arena for individuals, nonprofits and for-profit organizations.
Why it matters: county parks and campgrounds are revenue sources and community amenities; staff said reservations data show a decline in campground bookings after recent price increases, and the new rates and online system are intended to increase accessibility and reservation efficiency.
Details and discussion
Commissioners asked whether reservations would be required to be made online. “If someone is at park and speaks to a park employee, the park employee has a tablet and would be able to make that reservation for them, but it will be done all online,” Matthew said. An unnamed commissioner raised constituent complaints that recent RV price increases made stays unaffordable and said the new proposal could correct that trend.
Staff gave a brief breakdown for pavilion pricing by group size: 0–50 participants, 51–100, 101–200, 201–400, 401–800 and greater than 800, with prices ranging from $400 to $1,500. Staff also said monthly RV rates and the 10% special camping discount were intended to restore competitiveness.
Next steps and context
The commission’s agenda included an item to update Mabel County Park rates effective May 1, 2025, and to approve use of RecDesk for reservations; staff presented the changes and commissioners discussed details. No formal vote outcome was recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.
Ending
Staff said they and other county employees (including Tina) worked on the pricing updates. Commissioners thanked staff and asked for follow-up details; the county will proceed with the administrative steps needed to implement the new reservation platform and rate schedule pending any further commission action.
