The impending rate hike stems from a recent market comparison by the staff of the County of Santa Barbara Parks Department. The study revealed that user fees for both county parks were well below other comparably sized campgrounds in surrounding areas, including several beach camping parks in the Channel Coast District.

 

“The staff recommends adjustments to user fees at both Cachuma and Jalama to bring them into closer alignment with current market rates,” said Jeff Stone, deputy park director.

 

The last time fees were increased for camping and day use was in 2003. Basic camping costs $18 per day at both county parks, but would rise to $20, if the increase is approved. The current fee for a one-day permit is $6 and would be raised to $8, an increase of 33 percent. Another noticeable price inflation is a weekly camping permit, increasing from $126 to $140. And launching a boat would go up to $8, from $6.

 

“I’m not against the fee raise,” said George Miller, a Cachuma Lake patron. “I think it’s fair. It hasn’t gone up in ages and there are a lot of services provided by the park.”

 

The additional revenue would put an extra $285,000 in the parks department’s coffers this fiscal year, and then $380,000 annually. County Parks say the money would be used to offset the burgeoning cost of doing business, paying employee’s salaries, insurance, and utility costs.

 

$105,600 would be used to purchase new computer equipment and software to support a cutting edge reservation system, allowing the public for the first time to book and pay for their visits online. San Diego County is the prototype for this system, and county parks claim it to be very successful.

 

Stone said he believes that the fee increase won’t dissuade people from visiting or spending quality time at Cachuma or Jalama parks.

 

“In past years, where fee increases were implemented there was not a drop in visitation,” he said. According to the parks department, tourism rates fluctuated in the past especially when rising gas prices, lake water levels, and shifts in the economy were taken into account.  Positive recreation trends in recent years point towards higher lake levels that keep visitors coming back.

 

Besides the figures, Chuck Schermanhorn, another park patron said, “I don’t have a problem with the raise, as long as they put it back into the maintenance of the facility.”

 

At last Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, some board members were hesitant to immediately authorize the fee increase. They expressed concern over the rate hike at Lake Cachuma and Jalama, noting that other county parks are free to the public. The County Park Commission has already approved the fee adjustments recommended by the staff. Now, implementation is contingent on the supervisors’ approval. Although any decision to raise fees has been postponed until Oct. 9, some county park staff continue to advocate for the fee raise.

 

“The proposed fee raise would allow for a lot of needed improvements to take place,” said Kathy Fracasso, parks employee. “We get a lot of traffic here in the summer and damage occurs. It takes money to fix problems.”