Fee Increase Sought for County’s Parks
Ventura County residents should expect to pay $1 more to picnic and $3 more to camp next year at county-operated parks.
The Board of Supervisors today is scheduled to consider increased fees for a variety of county parks and recreation facilities.
In part, the move is another attempt to wrest more revenue from the park system now that is it is no longer subsidized by Channel Islands Harbor. Revenue from the higher fees would more than double from $63,500 to $141,000.
“Every year we’ve been adjusting our fees,” said Andy Oshita, parks operations manager. “Perhaps this year with the harbor separation, it made us look at the fees even closer.”
Day-use fees at Camarillo Grove Park, Oxnard’s College Park, Foster Park, Ojai’s Soule Park, Simi Valley’s Tapo Canyon Park and Santa Paula’s Steckel Park would rise from $2 to $3 on weekends and holidays. Formerly free on weekdays, a $1 fee is proposed for the first time Monday through Friday.
Camping fees would increase $3 at Foster, Faria and Hobson parks, as well as on the popular Rincon Parkway.
Other park fees, such as the cost of renting group barbecue facilities, would also increase to better reflect operating costs, officials said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
