REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 18, 2021
FROM
BEAHTA R. DAVIS, Director, Regional Parks Department
SUBJECT
Title v
Introduction of an Ordinance Amending Section 16.0223 of the San Bernardino County Code Relating to Fees for Calico, Mojave Narrows, Prado, Yucaipa, and Lake Gregory Regional Parks
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Conduct a public hearing on the proposed ordinance amending section 16.0223 of the San Bernardino County Code relating to the fees for Calico, Mojave Narrows, Prado, Yucaipa and Lake Gregory Regional Parks.
2. Make alterations, if necessary, to proposed ordinance.
3. Approve introduction of proposed ordinance.
4. Read title only of the proposed ordinance; waive reading of the entire text and SCHEDULE FOR ADOPTION ON TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. on the Consent Calendar.
(Presenter: Beahta R. Davis, Director, 387-2340)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not require the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The proposed revisions to Lake Gregory Regional Park’s fee schedule will allow the Lake Gregory Community Recreation Company (Operator) to charge fees based on local market studies and the actual costs to provide services. Changes include minor revisions to entry, fishing, boat launch, shelter rental, and reservation fees. Proposed new fees will add annual and summer package deals for local residents, corporations, and marketing partners. The changes to the Lake Gregory Regional Park’s fee schedule will not impact revenue for the Regional Parks Department (Department) as fees are collected by the Operator.
The proposed additions to the Calico, Mojave Narrows, Prado, and Yucaipa regional parks’ fee schedules will allow the Department to provide recreational vehicle (RV) rentals and continued park and amenity services to the public. The Department recommends establishing fees for the exclusive use of the RVs as follows: 30ft RV at $160 per night, 28ft RV for $150 per night, and 22ft RV for $140 per night. All RV rentals will require a two night minimum and a refundable $300 deposit. It is anticipated that these new RV fees will result in approximately $62,000 in additional annual revenue to help fund park maintenance and improvements.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Regional Parks fee ordinance is submitted annually to the Board of Supervisors (Board) for consideration and approval. The following is a summary of the recommended fee changes for 2021-22:
Lake Gregory Regional Park: On February 9, 2021, the Board approved Operations and Management Agreement No. 21-117 (Item No. 57) with the Operator for the Lake Gregory Regional Park. The Operator has since provided the Department with proposed fee changes to the Lake Gregory Regional Park Fee Schedule. Changes include:
• Addition of 19 fees to provide additional amenities and discounts to the public. These include waterslide/inflatable water park day use entry fees, membership packages which provide savings on merchandise and the various amenities throughout the park, San Moritz Lodge Facility Rental commercial usage fees, Fishing Derby fee, and Filming fee.
• Deletion of eight fees as the associated services are no longer provided or the costs are being recovered through a separate fee. These include fees from the previous operator in regards to annual individual and family swim passes, Waterslides/Splash Island entry fee, and Outdoor Swim Area reservation fee.
• Revision of 15 fees for language clarifications and allowing for more equitable cost recovery. These include revisions to watercraft launch fees, San Moritz Lodge Facility Rental fees to allow for non-commercial and commercial usage, Outdoor Swim Area fees, parking fee (updating from a full-day rate to a per hour rate), Special Event Parking fee, Playfields fee, Field Events commercial use fee, and fishing access fees.
• Other changes include addition of a family special discount allowing guests to get one free annual pass or membership when three are purchased, and two refundable deposits for small picnic shelter and field event reservations. Also, a note to the cancellation policy is included, which states if any space is cancelled less than 30 days before reservation dates, all fees will be non-refundable.
Calico, Mojave Narrows, Prado and Yucaipa Regional Parks: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, in coordination with the Office of Emergency Services, procured RVs to house people affected by the pandemic who were without stable living arrangements. As of March 30, 2021, the RVs have been transferred to the Department for rental use at park facilities. As a result, the Department is recommending the fee changes below:
• 12 new fees to provide additional amenities to park guests and generate additional revenue to help fund park maintenance and improvements. These include rental and exclusive use of the RVs (22ft, 28ft, and 30ft) at four Regional Parks. A market analysis was conducted of similar park rentals and average daily expenditures when developing the recommended fees for each RV rental. These fees are based on comparable nightly rates charged by similar park systems and facilities in the geographic area and include refundable deposits.
Approval of these proposed ordinance changes aligns with the County and Chief Executive Officer Goals and Objectives to Improve County Government Operations and Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner by allowing the Department to provide additional amenities to park guests and generate revenue to help fund park maintenance and improvements.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-4322) on April 20, 2021; Risk Management (LeAnna Williams, Director, 386-8723) on April 21, 2021; Finance (Elias Duenas, Administrative Analyst, 387-4052) on May 4, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on May 4, 2021.