Camp Dearborn owners criticize $150 third‑party inspection fee; officials say fee is one‑time baseline for safety checks

Camp Dearborn campers and owners urged the City Council on Monday to reconsider a new third‑party inspection fee and asked for a clearer timeline on trailer demolition and debris removal.

Todd Sheer of Taylor, Mich., who identified himself during public comment as a Camp Dearborn camper, told the council the inspection charge is unfair. “A hundred and $50 to do an inspection?” Sheer said. “Literally, you—re going to walk up to a camper and walk around the 4 sides and then take 4 pictures. And that—s a hundred and $50.”

The comment period that followed included complaints about piles of trailer debris and demolition byproducts at Camp Dearborn, and questions about who is responsible for lot upkeep.

Why it matters: Camp Dearborn is a municipally owned campground used by long‑term campers and seasonal visitors. Changes in inspection practices, fees and site management affect residents who park trailers on city‑owned lots and could influence future pandemic‑era or long‑running occupancy patterns, grant eligibility and planned capital investments.

Parks and recreation director Sean Fletcher and other officials told the council the inspection program was ordered by council direction to create consistent, third‑party assessments after complaints about inconsistent enforcement. Fletcher said the initial inspection fee is $150 and will be charged once to establish a baseline; follow‑up reinspections, he said, would be $35 in 2026. “That initial inspection gets us our baseline,” Fletcher said.

A city official also said the $150 is passed through to the contractor doing the work and that the total pass‑through cost for initial inspections this year is roughly $50,000; the city chose not to absorb the entire amount.

Officials tied the inspection work to two other drivers: public‑safety concerns (including recent camper fires) and requirements tied to state grants. Fletcher said the city recently met with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources about Camp Dearborn and that being up to code can affect eligibility for multimillion‑dollar grants linked to the site—s master plan.

Camp Dearborn users pressed the council for a clearer timetable and complained about demolition debris left on some sites. Fletcher said demolition and removal work is ongoing in staged batches; crews are working daily to break down and remove trailers and expected to continue into the spring. He said some material is being recycled rather than landfilled.

Council members and the mayor stressed that the city has been investing in Camp Dearborn: officials noted roughly $2 million in recent investments and said the administration is pursuing $15 million to $20 million in additional grant funding to upgrade facilities, and that the upgrades are intended to accompany, not simply justify, fee changes.

Ending: Officials told campers the city will continue outreach and has held discussions with the contractor Servpro to smooth the inspection process. Campers were invited to the Feb. study session (date to be posted) for further discussion and to review final inspection guidelines when those are released.