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Putnam County committee sends revised park fee schedule to full legislature, including dog‑park add‑on
Summary
The Physical Services Committee voted to send a revised park fee schedule to the full legislature, raising the day pass to $10, keeping the $40 annual permit, adding a $25 dog‑park add‑on and asking the advisory board to consider targeted discounts for seniors, first responders and county employees.
Chris Bruichman of the county Department of Public Works told the Putnam County Physical Services Committee on the last 2024 meeting that staff want to update park fees to match neighboring counties and better cover labor and resource costs.
The committee voted to send the proposed fee schedule to the full legislature with a request that the park advisory board consider Legislator Montgomery’s suggested discounts and that staff revise the wording for overnight stays to clarify they are tied to multi‑day events rather than public camping.
Bruichman said park day passes, which the county charged $8 for in 2024, are proposed to increase to $10 to make cash handling simpler at seasonal gatehouses. He described the annual permit as $40 and said county employee annual stickers would be $20. He told the committee that maintenance fees previously set at $25 per hour were raised because they did not cover labor costs.
On the dog park, Bruichman said the county will require purchase of the annual permit plus an annual dog‑park add‑on; the proposal sets the annual permit at $40 and the dog‑park add‑on at $25, while nonresident annual permits would cost $85. He said the office worked with risk and the law department to develop application forms and vaccination and release requirements modeled on practices at several other dog parks.
Committee members asked whether seniors and first responders could receive discounts beyond the annual‑permit changes. Bruichman said the advisory board and the county executive had been asked to consider a discount and staff could forward a formal recommendation to the advisory board.
On overnight uses, Bruichman emphasized, “We are not a public campground,” and said overnight privileges would be limited to people associated with a multi‑day event who use facilities or utilities; those staying overnight and using electric or restrooms would be charged the overnight fee. The committee asked staff to change the word "camping" to language such as "overnight events" to avoid suggesting a public campground would be established.
The committee approved the motion to forward the fee schedule to the full legislature on voice vote; members were told the item will appear before the full legislature on Thursday, Dec. 19.
