Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Conservation Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Conservation board proposes fee increases, capital and equipment requests in FY26 budget presentation
Summary
Black Hawk County Conservation projected a $70,000 revenue increase driven by a $5 camping-fee hike and higher timber-sale receipts; the department outlined capital and equipment requests including parking-lot resurfacing, siding replacement, paving, signage and a proposed 50-foot lift.
Director Hendrickson of Black Hawk County Conservation told the Board of Supervisors on Jan. 21 that the department projects revenue to rise about $70,000 for FY26, largely from several changes the Conservation Board has approved.
The board-authorized camping-fee increase — the first since 2015 — raises full-hookup fees from $25 to $30 per night, electric campsite fees from $18 to $23 and non-electric rates from $13 to $18. The director said the county’s camping rates had lagged neighboring larger counties and the state park system, and the change is intended to bring fees closer to market.
Hendrickson said the department also plans to increase field-trip fees at Hartman Reserve from $30 to $50; the presentation clarified that Friends of Hartman Reserve (a local endowment) covers field-trip costs for schools, so the change is not expected to affect attendance from schools that use the Friends’ support. The department also expects timber-sale revenue related to forest-management work, and included an estimated $40,000 line for logs from a planned forest-management project.
On the expense side, Hendrickson reported the department reduced some recurring costs and removed an $85,100 item previously budgeted for sending a ranger to the academy, on the assumption the current ranger will remain on staff. He also said some past grant-funded items had been moved on and off operating lines, creating year-to-year swings in the operating totals.
Capital and equipment requests highlighted in the presentation include parking-lot resurfacing at the administration office, siding replacement for older cabins, upgraded park entrance signage (preliminary planning estimate cited), paving work at Hickory Hills and McFarland Park, replacement of a weathered sunset shelter, electrical and security-light upgrades at Hickory Hills (the meeting cited a $27,000 upgrade for lighting/electrical work) and several equipment items: a replacement one-ton truck, tool-cap replacements, a 50-foot lift the department proposes to share countywide to reduce rental costs, mowers and a utility vehicle. The director noted some rental expenses would drop if the county purchased a lift that multiple departments could use.
Hendrickson also reviewed conservation trust and REAP (Resource Enhancement and Protection) funding. The department receives a recurring REAP allocation (the presentation referenced roughly $35,000 per year) and uses those and donated funds for prairie/forest equipment and projects.
Ending: Supervisors asked clarifying questions but did not take immediate action; Conservation’s requests will remain under review in the FY26 budget process.
