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Park County considers campground host, job-posting tweaks to curb unpaid camping at fairgrounds
Summary
County staff told commissioners that overnight unpaid camping at the fairgrounds costs an estimated $6,000–$7,000 a year and proposed hiring a seasonal campground/park host (contract or commission) and allowing limited creative tweaks to online job postings to attract applicants.
County staff raised two staffing proposals during the Feb. 12 Park County commissioners meeting aimed at improving fairgrounds operations and seasonal hiring.
A staff member who oversees fairgrounds operations told the commission the county is exploring how much flexibility it may have to ‘‘tweak’’ online job postings on sites such as Indeed to make listings more visible and appealing without changing formal job descriptions. The staff member asked whether the commission would permit creative introductory language on posting platforms to increase applications.
The same staff member described repeated instances of overnight, unpaid camping at the fairgrounds, including during events, and estimated the county loses ‘‘around 6,000 to $7,000 a year’’ because some campers do not pay. She told commissioners this happens both during events and at other times when people ‘‘sneak in, sell their horses, or legally can’t and then sneak back out.’’
To recover revenue and improve on-site oversight, staff proposed hiring a seasonal campground or park host who could stay on-site in a camper during busy periods (for example, rodeo season) to check permits, record license plates and provide customer service to legitimate campers. The staff member said such a role could be a contract position or paid on commission and could also help legitimate late-arriving campers find their reserved spots.
Commissioners supported exploring the idea further and asked staff to check legal or rental requirements with county staff (including Mike) and to bring draft job descriptions or contract models from other counties for consideration. One commissioner said the county should consider a trial period to allow horses and travelers to learn enforcement was active.
Next steps: staff will consult with county operations staff on leasing/rental implications, draft sample job descriptions or contracts, and report back to the commission for possible next-step direction.
