Lake County weighs grooming options for 2025–26; staff recommends contracting as near‑term fix

Parks and Open Space Director Duncan Chisholm told the Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 23 that staff has developed four approaches to groom county cross‑country ski trails for the 2025–26 season and is recommending the least‑capital, contractor‑led option as a near‑term solution while the county evaluates longer‑term options.

Chisholm outlined four options: a contracted groomer to provide regular runs on the Mineral Belt Trail and other priority circuits; leasing a groomer plus hiring a full‑time equivalent (FTE) county employee to operate equipment year‑round; leasing a groomer plus hiring seasonal staff; or doing no county‑run grooming. "At this point in time, we're recommending option 1 for 2526," Chisholm said.

Staff estimates and assumptions

Chisholm gave commissioners a set of assumptions used to cost proposals: two scheduled grooms per week (suggested Monday and Thursday) plus additional runs when snowfall exceeds about 4 inches, producing an estimated ~32 grooms per season depending on conditions. Cost estimates provided by staff included:

- Contract/lease options: staff presented estimated contract/lease costs in the range of about $50,000–$62,000 for the season depending on included hours and logistics; one firm quoted roughly $62,000 with 500 hours of usage included; another option quoted about $56,600 with 300…