St. Mary’s County Recreation and Parks Director Phil Rollins has presented the county commissioners with a proposal for entrance fees at Myrtle Point Park and Elms Beach Park. The proposal presented on Tuesday would impose a $5 per vehicle fee for county residents and $10 for non-county residents on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Under the proposal, a season pass would be available for $20 for county residents for admission to either park and $40 for out-of-county residents.
With the projected $38,000 revenue raised, the county would hire a part-time gatekeeper and a park attendant for each park. “We feel it is necessary to have some park supervision,” Rollins said.
At a public forum that evening, Friends of Myrtle Point volunteer Mary Piotrowski put the problem in some perspective. She said a website that shows good locations for sexual encounters listed Myrtle Point as one of the ideal locations because there was no supervision.
Also at the public forum, Bob Boxwell, as a member of the Friends organization, said, “We have always thought there needs to be a presence there. He added, “It is becoming a party place for youth. Recreation and Parks’ suggestion is a good first step.”
But during the presentation several commissioners expressed concern about the fee for county residents and wondered whether a higher fee for non-county residents might do the trick. Rollins said, however, that not enough money can be raised just from out-of-county residents to cover the amount needed to pay for the four part-time employees.
A similar suggestion on fees was made several years ago and the then-commissioners rejected it. Commissioner Larry Jarboe told Rollins: “I think you are underestimating out-of-county usage.” Jarboe said when Point Lookout Park fills up on weekends those people go back up the road and stop at Elms Beach.
Commissioner Dan Morris said park usage was one of the outcomes that county residents expect when they pay their property taxes. And, Commissioner Todd Morgan also suggested an alternative of higher non-county resident fees.
Rollins said the commissioners need to make a decision soon so he can advertise for the new part-time positions if they decide to go that way. The commissioners have scheduled a discussion and decision making session for their April 26 meeting prior to the budget hearing that evening at Great Mills High School.
