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Stockton will solicit proposals to operate Silver Lake Family Camp after one RFI response
Summary
Staff reported one formal RFI response for the closed Silver Lake Family Camp; council directed staff to issue a formal RFP to solicit operators and partners for possible renewal, replacement or removal of the camp.
City staff briefed the council on the status of Silver Lake Family Camp, a facility the city operates under a special-use permit on U.S. Forest Service land that has been closed since 2022. Thomas Freeman, program manager with the Community Services Department, summarized a 2024 facility assessment that estimated three options: capital renewal (roughly $5.8 million in 2024 dollars), full replacement (about $22 million), or removal of facilities (roughly $2 million).
Staff said a November request for information produced one formal respondent: a local operator linked to tree-services work and prior experience with the U.S. Forest Service, which proposed operating a family and public camp. Council directed staff to take that RFI input and issue a formal request for proposals so the city can evaluate potential operators and return with options; the motion to solicit an RFP passed 7-0.
Council members noted capital costs and limited operational seasonality for an upland forest camp, discussed possible partnerships (including the county office of education for outdoor-education use), and stressed that a formal RFP would allow the city and community to vet proposals comprehensively.
Staff said if an RFP is authorized, they will work with the Forest Service to list assets and stipulations and solicit operator proposals that could include program ideas for family camps, youth education and leadership, and nature-based prevention programs.
