Residents speak out on suggested park fee increase

Residents speak out on suggested park fee increase

Tim Leeds

Several people spoke out at a monthly meeting of the Hill County Park Board, saying they strongly oppose several ideas raised by a local resident at the last two board meetings about ways to increase revenue.

Jim Catt Jr. made several proposals at the board's January meeting, including raising the lease rates for cabin areas to new leasers, raising the cattle grazing rates and selling permits for archery hunting on the park.

But Charlie Grant said Monday he opposes Catt's suggestion.

"We're all going broke. We don't need to take on to any more grandiose schemes. Let's just get by, " he said.

Several other cabin owners also spoke out against the proposal to increase lease rates.

Board Chair Steve Mariani said Catt was just making suggestions, and the board would not be changing rates any time soon. Looking at rates will be on the agenda early next year, he said.

"That was Mr. Catt's suggestion, and he is entitled to his opinion …, " Mariani said. "Maybe when the time comes you guys will be back. "

Catt, who is out of the area and could not attend Monday's meeting, said this morning that something needs to be done to help with the county revenue and with making supervising the park an easier job.

"I don't want to cause hardship for anybody. … I just want to look to the future, " Catt said.

He said his main point was that the county should increase the rates charged to ranchers for grazing, allowed from Labor Day through Jan. 1. The about-$60,000 raised each year just breaks even, at best, Catt said.

He added that the 26 cattle ranchers who lease grazing pay half or less of rates paid on most lands. The commissioners and park board have an obligation to represent all 18,000 residents of the county, not just 26, Catt said.

He said his idea on cabin leases is much the same. His suggestion is to grandfather in the people who lease the use of the land their cabins are on, but to increase new leases from the about $300 to $350 a year to $800 to $1,000 a year, more in line with cabin leases on other government land.

"This is not far-fetched, it's another way to supplement" the park superintendent's budget, he said, adding that the current superintendent is doing an excellent job, but is underpaid and needs more help and better equipment.

Catt said he plans to attend the next board meeting, Monday, April 4, to bring up more facts and support of his ideas.

Lynn Heggen, president of the cabin owners association of the park, said the association had held a meeting and discussed the minutes of the park board including Catt's suggestions.

"As you can tell, nobody is definitely for that, " he said.

Grant said he questioned many of the figures and amounts Catt had used in his presentation and in a letter and some statistics he presented at the board's February meeting.

He also said raising the cabin lease rates is contrary to the purpose of the park. That purpose is to let people use and enjoy public land without a huge expense, he said.

"It's been a thing where people from Havre can come out there and be in holders and have cabins and do that sort of thing, and they don't have to pay a lot of money, " Grant said. "We're not out there to make money. "

Several people spoke out at a monthly meeting of the Hill County Park Board, saying they strongly oppose several ideas raised by a local resident at the last two board meetings about ways to increase revenue.

Jim Catt Jr. made several proposals at the board's January meeting, including raising the lease rates for cabin areas to new leasers, raising the cattle grazing rates and selling permits for archery hunting on the park.

But Charlie Grant said Monday he opposes Catt's suggestion.

"We're all going broke. We don't need to take on to any more grandiose schemes. Let's just get by, " he said.

Several other cabin owners also spoke out against the proposal to increase lease rates.

Board Chair Steve Mariani said Catt was just making suggestions, and the board would not be changing rates any time soon. Looking at rates will be on the agenda early next year, he said.

"That was Mr. Catt's suggestion, and he is entitled to his opinion …, " Mariani said. "Maybe when the time comes you guys will be back. "

Catt, who is out of the area and could not attend Monday's meeting, said this morning that something needs to be done to help with the county revenue and with making supervising the park an easier job.

"I don't want to cause hardship for anybody. … I just want to look to the future, " Catt said.

He said his main point was that the county should increase the rates charged to ranchers for grazing, allowed from Labor Day through Jan. 1. The about-$60,000 raised each year just breaks even, at best, Catt said.

He added that the 26 cattle ranchers who lease grazing pay half or less of rates paid on most lands. The commissioners and park board have an obligation to represent all 18,000 residents of the county, not just 26, Catt said.

He said his idea on cabin leases is much the same. His suggestion is to grandfather in the people who lease the use of the land their cabins are on, but to increase new leases from the about $300 to $350 a year to $800 to $1,000 a year, more in line with cabin leases on other government land.

"This is not far-fetched, it's another way to supplement" the park superintendent's budget, he said, adding that the current superintendent is doing an excellent job, but is underpaid and needs more help and better equipment.

Catt said he plans to attend the next board meeting, Monday, April 4, to bring up more facts and support of his ideas.

Lynn Heggen, president of the cabin owners association of the park, said the association had held a meeting and discussed the minutes of the park board including Catt's suggestions.

"As you can tell, nobody is definitely for that, " he said.

Grant said he questioned many of the figures and amounts Catt had used in his presentation and in a letter and some statistics he presented at the board's February meeting.

He also said raising the cabin lease rates is contrary to the purpose of the park. That purpose is to let people use and enjoy public land without a huge expense, he said.

"It's been a thing where people from Havre can come out there and be in holders and have cabins and do that sort of thing, and they don't have to pay a lot of money, " Grant said. "We're not out there to make money. "