The Hamilton County Conservation Board is giving campers and golfers an early Christmas gift. The board on Tuesday voted to keep the rates the same at all three county parks for 2022. They are Bells Mill near Stratford, Briggs Woods south of Webster City and Little Wall Lake south of Jewell. The only change will be an increase in the cleaning deposit fee for open shelters used by families and groups. The fee will jump from $40 to $100 starting in 2022. There will be no change in the fees at the Briggs Woods Golf Course for 2022.
Plans for a new shower house at Little Wall Lake Park were discussed at the Tuesday board Conservation Board session. Director Brian Lammers said the funding for the project would be the use of Federal Pandemic Rescue funds. The board approved the bid from Huffcut Industries of Chippewa Falls,Wisconsin at a cost of $196,450. The plumbing work would be provided by Jerome’s Plumbing of Jewell. Work on the new shower house would start next August.
In another matter, the board recognized Tammy Newton for her five years of service as a cabin cleaning employee. Terry Dobbs was hired to succeed Newton as the new cabin cleaning employee in 2022. Environment education coordinator John Laird presented his report on another successful year for the series of education programs. The programs will return for 2022 with the first one set for March 26,2022 on how to make your own walking stick.
Diane Sinclair was named conservation board president for 2022 with Jim Richardson as vice president and Jay Heeren as secretary.
The conservation board will have two meetings in January. The first one will be on January 6 to over the 2023 fiscal year budget and the regular board meeting set for Friday,January 21. Both meetings will be held in the conservation office at Briggs Woods Park beginning at 9:30 a.m.