The Beaver City Council on July 8 discussed a proposed fee to charge users who house livestock at the Fort Cameron rodeo grounds and directed staff to draft a user agreement and pursue a legal review.

Council members said livestock had been left at the facility without reservation, causing wear-and-tear, water usage and safety concerns. A proposed fee of $100 for up to 24 animals was suggested by the rodeo committee as a way to offset maintenance and encourage reservation-based use. Councilors discussed whether fees should be assessed per owner or per pen and how to manage split enclosures: "So if Randy Hunter brings 10 head of livestock and Matt Robinson brings 10 head of livestock, both Randy Hunter and Matt Robinson are paying for rental fee," one council member said in discussion.

Councilors raised administrative questions about who would check reservations, whether signage and locks should be used to prevent unscheduled use, insurance and liability requirements, event scheduling conflicts with other users (4-H, high school teams, rodeo committee) and whether fees should be prorated for smaller numbers. Several members said they favored a usage agreement that would require users to reserve the facility with the city office, carry appropriate liability coverage and remove animals by prescribed deadlines for scheduled events.

Manager Brown said staff would prepare a usage agreement for the rodeo grounds and seek legal review before bringing a draft back to the council for approval. "We need to know who's got cows there, how many, and how to regulate it," a council member said; another added that the agreement should provide authority to require removal of livestock before major scheduled events.

Ending: No fee resolution was adopted July 8; the council directed staff and the city attorney to draft a user agreement, consider liability and scheduling rules, and return with a proposed policy and fee schedule for future council action.