Natrona parks board weighs trailer-lottery changes as lease, permit questions loom

The Natrona County Parks Board on March 12 discussed revisions to the trailer-lottery and the status of lease and permit drafts that residents say are constraining sales and maintenance in the county’s trailer park.

Board members and staff described recent changes intended to increase the number of unique individuals in lottery draws — including removing a name from the pool after it has been drawn — and floated options such as limiting duplicate entries tied to a single address or adding preference fields (for example, one-, two- or three-bedroom) to applications so drawn names better match lot types. Michael, a parks staff member, said the revised system would still comply with federal rules and that any change must be approved by the Bureau that regulates the permits (referred to in the meeting as the “Bureau Rec”).

“The way the lottery process currently works, if your family all put their names in, you could get multiple names from the same household when only five names are drawn,” a trustee said, describing why the board wants more unique names available for sellers to choose from. Public commenters urged the board to allow more than five names or to provide the full list to sellers. Brad Oracle told the board, “why not get the whole list? It increases everybody’s chances.”

Residents also pressed the board about transparency around a draft lease agreement that will govern county and city responsibilities on some Casper Mountain properties. Nancy Vincel asked whether draft leases were shared with trailer-park and cabin associations before being submitted for bureaucratic review; Michael said he had shared drafts with association contacts and that bureau comments are now under review by a regional office.

Board members stressed they must follow the bureau’s requirements. Michael said the permits expire May 19, creating a tight window for revisions: “if we want to be without permits for a month, I mean, drag that on,” he warned, urging timely feedback from stakeholders.

The board agreed to solicit written suggestions from the public and to continue piloting procedural tweaks (such as address-based limits or preference fields) before proposing formal document changes to the Bureau for approval. Trustees emphasized they will ask the bureau to consider allowing a larger draw pool if possible, but that the bureau has final authority on the lottery format.

Action at the meeting included approval of the previous meeting’s minutes; the motion was made by John Hatcher and seconded by Justin and recorded as approved by voice vote.

The board invited written comments and said staff will circulate any bureau responses and revised drafts to association contacts as they become available.