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Parks revenues rise; county moves to Lakeside Water and budgets for safer lake boat and equipment
Summary
Flathead County parks officials told commissioners rental revenue and concessions are up, the department shifted irrigation to Lakeside Water & Sewer to avoid ongoing repair problems, and CIP requests include a new boat with a crane for safer buoy and dock work plus replacement mowers and a basketball court upgrade funded with cash‑in‑lieu in Columbia Falls.
Flathead County parks and recreation officials told commissioners on May 12 that rental revenue and concessions have increased enough to cover higher utility and maintenance costs, and they described a set of planned capital purchases to improve safety and operations.
Chris Mestis, speaking for Parks and Recreation, said park rental revenue has exceeded budget this fiscal year and that Belton Stage bookings and Big Fork parks rentals are up. The department increased the highest rental fee to $500 per day but continues to see heavy usage. Concessions revenue rose after a credit‑card reader was introduced.
Mestis explained a move away from pumping irrigation water from Flathead Lake to Lakeside Water & Sewer. The change raised utility bills but solved repeated maintenance and supply‑chain issues (including an unavailable circuit board during the 2020–23 microchip shortage) and saved dozens of staff hours and contractor costs. "We pivoted, and we moved to Lakeside Water Sewer," Mestis said; he added the department has not had irrigation system failures since the change.
On capital needs, Parks requested a new, more powerful boat with a crane to safely lay buoys and dock sections in county lakes. The existing boat lacks power and requires two staff to handle concrete‑weighted buoys in a way Mestis described as unsafe; the new boat would reduce back injuries and fall risks. Mestis also listed funded replacements for mowers and a dump trailer, a backhoe trailer purchase planned for summer, and a $15,000 cash‑in‑lieu proposal to build an asphalt basketball court in Columbia Falls.
Why it matters: The department said increased rental revenue is enabling necessary safety and equipment investments while absorbing higher utility costs. The proposals received commissioner questions but were presented as fully funded or offset by department revenue or designated cash reserves.
Next steps: CIP purchases will proceed in FY27 where funding was already identified; no additional board action was recorded at the meeting beyond the budget review.
