Muncie parks board approves new Prairie Creek fees, greenlights fall events and starts appeal process for campsite violations

MUNCIE, Ind. — The Muncie Park and Recreation Board on Sept. 16 approved a set of new user fees and event charges for Prairie Creek Reservoir and surrounding park facilities, signed off on several upcoming events at the reservoir, and said it will develop an appeals process after recent Indiana Department of Health inspections raised compliance questions.

Board members voted to raise daily boat-launch fees and to set new annual and discounted rates, approve revised dock and slip charges, adopt a campground electrical surcharge, and raise or add fees for events, nonmotorized craft and camping facilities. The board also approved permits for multiple fall and 2026 events at Prairie Creek and discussed longer-term infrastructure issues including septic upgrades and trail maintenance.

The changes follow months of staff reports and public comment about rising operating costs, campground utilities, dock maintenance and campground compliance with health rules. The board’s action is intended to increase revenue for day-to-day operations, to better align user charges with costs, and to create a clearer fee structure for visitors and seasonal users.

Board members said the revenue measures are designed to be revisited annually and some were presented as interim steps while staff pursues longer-term solutions.

The most significant rate decisions the board approved included: - Boat launches: a new daily launch fee of $30 and an annual launch permit of $200, with a discounted annual permit for boater education certificate holders set at $150. (Motion passed in roll call vote: James Litton — yes; Mark Irvin — yes; Shannon Powers — no; Brad Marshall — yes.) - Docks/peers: a public dock fee set at $600 for the 2026 season plus an added charge equivalent to 40% of the public launch annual permit (about $80 at the approved launch rate). (Roll-call approval: unanimous.) - Sailclub slips: the sailing club’s dock fee was adjusted to $560 to reflect the board’s overall dock-pricing changes. (Roll-call approval: unanimous.) - Campground electric surcharge: the board added an electrical surcharge of $200 per seasonal campsite (the campsite base rate was left unchanged). (Roll-call approval: unanimous.) - Event fees: small events raised to $50 per day; large events (over 100 attendees) set at $150 per day; a refundable…