Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Policies topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission asks parks manager to revise campground policies before adoption
Summary
County parks manager presented revised campground rules for two campgrounds; commissioners and public requested clarifications on scope, supervision ages, animals, appliance definitions and fish‑cleaning/disposal. Board asked staff to incorporate changes and return the policies for review, including Park & Rec input where possible.
Heather LaDuke, parks manager, presented a consolidated 13‑page revision of campground policies and regulations targeting Fuller Park and Pioneer Trail Park and said the parks open May 8, creating a short public‑notice window. LaDuke said the packet includes a separate weapons/hunting section that arrived after the main packet and that her intent was to streamline disparate rules across parks.
Commissioners and members of the public reviewed specifics line‑by‑line. Questions and requested edits included clarifying which parks are covered (recommendation to identify parks by name at the top of the document), replacing the generic term “administration” with “park manager” where operational decisions are intended, and explaining why cabin rentals require a minimum renter age of 21 while campsite rentals require age 18.
Board members suggested lowering unsupervised playground age to 12 and separating playground supervision rules from swimming supervision, with swimming requiring an 18+ supervisor for minors under 16. Commissioners also asked staff to clarify the definition and enforcement of “manufactured equipment and appliances” (examples given: refrigerators and freezers versus small camp appliances such as waffle irons) and to add explicit language referencing the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act to distinguish prohibited public consumption from permitted alcohol use.
Several speakers said the fish‑cleaning language needs an operational solution rather than an outright ban; staff agreed to pursue designated disposal or fish‑cleaning receptacles. A commissioner rescinded an earlier motion to adopt the policies as presented and instead moved that LaDuke make the discussed edits and return the document to the board for approval after Park & Rec review where feasible; that motion passed by roll call.
The board did not adopt the revised policies at the meeting and directed staff to incorporate the edits and bring the document back for final action prior to the park opening if possible.
