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Supervisors extend Mountain Ranch park lease for six months, approve Youth Alliance lease for resource center
Summary
The board authorized a six‑month extension for the Mountain Ranch Community Park lease, directed staff to negotiate a longer park lease with the Mountain Ranch Community Club, and approved a five‑year lease with Mountain Ranch Youth Alliance for the resource center and community kitchen.
The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday authorized a six‑month extension of the existing lease for Mountain Ranch Community Park and approved a five‑year lease for the Mountain Ranch Resource Center and Community Kitchen, following public testimony from local volunteers and service groups.
County staff reported a single proposal had been received for a portion of the property (the resource center and kitchen) during a recent request-for-proposals process. Mountain Ranch Youth Alliance submitted the proposal for the resource center; the county recommended approval of a five‑year lease at a nominal annual payment of $1, and the board approved that lease.
The parkland portion had not received a competing proposal by the RFP deadline. Staff recommended temporary closure as one option, but after sustained public comment from the Mountain Ranch Community Club, local service organizations and volunteers — who described decades of volunteer maintenance and recent commitments of personnel to manage the park — supervisors authorized the purchasing agent to execute a six‑month extension of the community club’s existing park lease while staff reissues an RFP or negotiates a new county lease with the Mountain Ranch Community Club. The board directed staff to return with a negotiated park lease that aligns with the resource-center lease dates.
Speakers from the community described their volunteer work maintaining park facilities, fundraising for improvements and the park’s role during emergencies. The Mountain Ranch Community Club told the board it has recruited a new park manager and volunteers and asked to continue stewardship. Multiple community organizations, including San Andreas Rotary and local businesses, submitted letters of support and urged the board not to close the park while lease arrangements are sorted.
Board rationale and next steps: Supervisors said they favored keeping a locally-run park model but also sought to abide by public‑procurement rules. The six‑month extension seeks to preserve continuous public access and allow staff time to either reissue the RFP or finalize a community lease; any new or extended lease will be publicly noticed and return to the board for formal approval.
Why it matters: Mountain Ranch Park is a long‑standing community asset that hosts sports, community events and served as an emergency staging area during past wildfire incidents. The board’s action preserves the park’s availability for the immediate summer season while giving staff time to complete any required competitive or negotiated leasing steps.
What to expect: Staff will execute a six‑month lease extension to keep the park open with minimal maintenance and will negotiate or reissue an RFP for the park portion; a proposed lease will return to the board for formal approval.
