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Commissioners back formation of Friends of Caroline County Recreation & Parks; approve amended boat‑ramp fee resolution
Summary
Recreation and parks director presented proposed articles of incorporation for a 'Friends' nonprofit and commissioners agreed to review the documents; the board also amended and adopted a resolution setting the in‑county annual boat‑ramp permit at $25 and an out‑of‑state annual permit at $50, and removed the daily permit.
Jamie, Director of Recreation and Parks, asked commissioners to endorse moving forward with articles of incorporation and bylaws for a new nonprofit, "Friends of Caroline County Recreation & Parks," that would operate as an independent 501(c)(3) fiduciary and could accept gifts, endowments and grants that the county cannot receive directly.
Jamie said the proposed board would have nine members, with four initial appointments made by the commissioners and five at‑large members selected by the board itself; terms would be staggered. Commissioners discussed safeguards — including retaining veto authority over county capital projects the nonprofit might propose, indemnification and bonding for board members, and a subrecipient or written grant agreement approach for projects that require county acceptance or maintenance.
In the same presentation, Jamie reviewed marina/boat ramp finances and recommended changes to the ramp permit schedule. Staff noted neighboring counties charge higher rates, and recommended removing the daily permit and converting to a $25 in‑county annual permit with a $50 out‑of‑state annual permit to be added. After discussion about the size of any in‑county increase, the commissioners amended Attachment A of the draft resolution and approved the amended resolution (recorded in meeting materials as Resolution 2025‑037) adopting the revised boat‑ramp permit fees.
The board asked staff to accept comments on the Friends incorporation documents and return with any suggested edits before filing with the state and federal authorities; commissioners also directed staff to prepare the resolution language for adoption and to proceed with the administrative steps needed to implement the new ramp fees.
