Commissioners streamline park duties to administrator

El Paso County has not hired anyone to oversee the county parks since the public works director stepped down last November.

Commissioners have been taking over those responsibilities the past several months until Monday during their weekly meeting.

Judge Veronica Escobar said any park issues or decisions will be streamlined to the county’s chief administrator until a director is hired.

Escobar could not say how much longer the process will take to hire one.

The new move could also change how local organizations and non-profits rent county parks for events.

Typically, Escobar explained commissioners approved events, but smaller organizations would sometimes get the fees waived.

“There may be occasions when we want to waive the fees,” said Escobar.

She added commissioners court tried move away from these decisions sometime ago so the park rental process would be “policy-based and not political.”

Escobar said it turned into a “who knows who” when groups came before commissioners.

“It’s a far more equitable way dealing with fees and waiving of fees by having rules and policies to govern them.”

When a parks director is hired, he or she will acquire the responsibilities once again.