The Woodland City Council expressed broad concerns Monday over a workshop discussion exploring the pros and cons of introducing paid parking and lifeguards at Horseshoe Lake Park, citing legal liability, rising costs and the potential loss of recreational immunity.
During the June 16 workshop, council members and staff discussed the legal and financial implications of shifting from free public access to a fee-based model. Although not tied to any official proposal, the conversation centered on whether such changes would be feasible and beneficial for the city. The consensus leaned strongly against moving forward.
“I think it’s a hard no for our city, and I would like to see this just dropped,” Councilor Melissa Doughty said.
“The cost is prohibitive to the city, and the liability to the city is way beyond anything that would do any good with it,” Councilor Carol Rounds added.
The discussion followed a 4–3 vote by the council to keep the evening’s agenda intact, which included the workshop session. Councilors John “JJ” Burke, Carol Rounds and Terry Hall voted in the minority, with Burke stating beforehand he would have preferred to remove the workshop entirely.
The city currently benefits from recreational land use immunity, which limits liability as long as access remains open and free. City staff warned that charging fees, whether for parking or swimming, would revoke that protection. Mayor Todd Dinehart explained that doing so could trigger new expenses related to insurance and park maintenance.
“You can see along the rope where there’s parking, there’s gravel there and then there’s a kind of an upheaval, so the asphalt is not level,” Mayor Todd Dinehart said.
“We would have to bring gravel in there because, again, if somebody trips on that, we’re responsible, and so once you start charging, you’re mandated and required to repair those types of deals,” he added. “Whereas now, it’s not there.”
Dinehart estimated that the city would face a baseline cost of $10,000 just to bring the area up to a safer standard, with ongoing annual costs exceeding that amount.
“Those two items [cost] a minimum of $20,000 to $25,000 upwards depending on what we find out from our insurance carrier,” he said, referring to estimated maintenance and insurance costs.
The possibility of hiring lifeguards raised similar red flags. Officials cited concerns that once the city offers supervision, it would be held responsible for incidents even when staffing falls short.
“Our town does not need this liability in such a small town,” Councilor Doughty said.
The dialogue also touched on whether out-of-town visitors, especially those from Oregon, should contribute to park maintenance through fees. Meg, a Woodland resident, called in to support fees for non-residents.
“It’s a little disheartening when it’s one of the most beautiful places to go for our little town, and we can’t use it because there’s no parking,” she said.
Councilor Terry Hall agreed he would like to see visitors from outside of Woodland pay to park, but stressed he would be against the idea if it removed the city’s park liability.
Others worried that charging for parking would just push visitors into surrounding business lots or neighborhoods, creating new problems without solving old ones.
“That’s gonna be the last place that they’re gonna park, and they’re gonna park all down Main Street, and they’re gonna park in US Bank’s parking lot,” Councilor Rounds said.
Rounds noted that visitors parking at Horseshoe Lake Park typically spend money at nearby vendors, which helps the city’s bottom line.
By the end of the discussion, no council members voiced support for implementing either paid parking or lifeguard staffing at the park.
