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Trustees ask staff to rework proposed 4% escalator for lot permits after trustees flag 2021 CPI outlier
Summary
Staff proposed a 4% fixed escalator for lot-permit rents (2026–2030) based on a 10-year weighted CPI; trustees asked staff to re-run scenarios excluding the 2021 pandemic outlier and return updated numbers. Staff also proposed service-fee increases to better cover trash, water and sewer costs.
Natrona County Parks staff presented proposed lot-permit rent changes for the 2026–2030 term and trustees asked for additional analysis after members expressed concern the proposed 4% escalator is driven by a pandemic-era CPI spike in 2021.
Michael Brown explained he used the Wyoming State Parks methodology and a 10-year weighted average of the consumer price index to calculate a fixed 4% escalator for the five-year term. "This is how I calculated the fixed escalator rate of 4% for the next 5 years," Brown said. Trustees pointed to 2021’s 8% annual inflation number as an outlier that skews the average and urged staff to show scenarios excluding 2021 (and possibly 2022) so the board can consider a lower, more defensible increase that trustees suggested could be closer to 2%.
Trustee Stacy said removing the 2021 anomaly would likely bring the escalator down toward historical levels and Trustee Peter and Trustee Jim reiterated concerns that a sudden jump would be difficult to justify to permittees. Trustee Jim declared a potential conflict of interest on lakefront cabin rate votes because his family has a lakefront cabin and said he would abstain on that portion of any future vote.
Staff also recommended raising trailer-lot service fees from the current $115 to $175 and cabin trash service fees from $70 to $90 to reflect actual water, sewer and trash costs and to reduce frequent small supplemental invoices to permit holders. Brown explained the proposal uses current wholesale water and sewer rates and projects costs over the five-year term.
Trustees raised infrastructure concerns: staff noted recent and upcoming capital and maintenance needs, including replacing lift-station pumps (about $16,000) and previously replaced water tanks, and reported the restricted sewer fund balance (~$238,000). Trustees asked staff to model scenarios for building a capital reserve versus continuing to invoice overages year-to-year.
Michael Brown said he will rework the CPI scenarios (with and without 2021/2022), revise the draft permits, and provide updated figures to the trustees before the next meeting so the board can deliberate with clearer numbers.
