3/20/16
A deadly collision involving a Humboldt County employee in 2013 has since increased the county’s insurance costs nearly 15-fold, and could have major implications for county parks.
On Tuesday, the county Board of Supervisors is set to approve a $77,000 budget adjustment to cover the remainder of this year’s insurance costs, with the Parks and Recreation Division proposing several options — including selling or relinquishing some parks — to free up more revenue for the next five years.
“The current situation points to a structural deficit in the Parks Division budget,” the county staff report states.
The board is also set to approve a new agreement that would allow the county Sheriff’s Office to deputize Hoopa Valley Tribal officers, thus alleviating some concerns of lack of law enforcement presence in Hoopa.
The Planning and Building Department’s request for five new staff members to help run the county’s new medical marijuana commercial cultivation program is also set to be approved by the board.
PARK INSURANCE
According to the county Public Works Department, its annual Parks Division insurance costs have increased from about $6,000 to about $91,800 between 2013 and 2015, with insurance now making up 42 percent of the Parks Division’s services and supplies budget.
The insurance increase occurred after a now former county parks employee, Brian Bresee of Eureka, struck and killed McKinleyville bicyclist John Mello, 57, while driving a county parks vehicle on U.S. Highway 101 near Trinidad in 2013.
The elevated insurance rate will remain in effect for the next five years, with the county having to pay about $500,000 during this time, 3rd District Supervisor and board Chairman Mark Lovelace said. Lovelace said half of this amount has already been covered by an adjustment through the county’s insurance.
In response to its reduced budget, the Parks Division has used more volunteer work and jail work crews for maintenance, deferred vehicle and equipment upgrades, and stopped maintaining the Luffenholtz Beach access property.
But 2nd District Estelle Fennell said these are not long-term solutions.
“That’s not going to be sustainable at all and I think we’re going to have more of a discussion on it when we get into the 2016-2017 budget, because that is when we’ll really start looking at for more extensive changes,” she said.
As part of the larger discussion, the Parks Division staff report lists several options that could cover the increased insurance costs in the coming years.
Such options include discontinuing the temporary dam for summer swimming at Freshwater Park, charging day-use fees at Clam Beach and Mad River beaches and cutting bathroom maintenance services at Moonstone Beach.
The most troubling proposal for county residents, Fennell said, is another option of selling or relinquishing county parks such as A.W. Way County Park, Crab Park, Centerville Beach, Table Bluff County Park and others.
Fennell said she agrees with her concerned constituents in that she does not want to close or sell any of the parks.
“We have to figure out a better approach,” she said.
Lovelace said that the board has not taken any direction to move forward with this option and encouraged county residents to weigh in on the proposals to the board of the Public Works Department.
“To permanently let go of a park to address a temporary issue is not something I am interested in at this point,” Lovelace said. “I would really like to look at more creative solutions.”
But what options are there?
Lovelace said the Parks Division’s proposal contains internal changes, but do not take into account actions that can be taken by the board to address the insurance costs, such as a General Fund allocation. Fennell said the board will discuss more options in the coming weeks as it drafts its 2016-2017 budget.
LET THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS KNOW HOW YOU VALUE COUNTY PARKS: COMPLETE THIS BRIEF SURVEY BY APRIL 10!
