County won't object to a fee to enter Montana de Oro state park

By Bob Cuddy

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Paying a fee to enter Montana de Oro State Park is not an appetizing prospect, but it beats the alternatives, including closing the park, the Board of Supervisors decided this afternoon.

Faced with three alternatives, the county said it would not object to the added fee. The board's decision allows the county to continue negotiations with the state. State parks owns Montana de Oro, but the county manages it.

The county-state contract expires in January. It also applies to the Cayucos Beach and Pier, Cayucos Vets Hall, Morro Bay Golf Course and other state-owned, county-managed properties.

While other properties are affected, Montana de Oro, one of the jewels of the state parks system, drew nearly all the discussion.

County Parks director Pete Jenny told the supervisors that they could pay $40,000 annually to continue the current arrangement; sever relations with the state; or tell the state it can institute a fee.

Like all elected officials, supervisors said they don�t like fees. But a blunt Adam Hill said �The state is broken. I would suspect that anything (local governments) do will be fee-based.�

He said things would stay that way until the state government changes in a systemic way.

Supervisor Frank Mecham said that if the state carries out its occasional threat to shut down the park �which is a money-loser � it would cost the county as well, in tourist dollars and other ways.

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