Kendall County Board hikes forest preserve summer camp fees

The Kendall County Board unanimously approved a $5 fee hike for all summer camps run by the county forest preserve district during a meeting Tuesday morning, Jan. 19, in Yorkville.

The fee hike will apply to the district’s environmental education and equestrian camps, Emily Dombrowski, the district’s environmental education manager, told County Board members, who also serve as county forest preserve commissioners, earlier this month. District staff recommended the increase as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the district’s budget. In November, the commissioners had slashed the district’s operating budget to stave off a budget deficit.

With the new fee rates, full day summer camps for local youngsters in grades one through nine now range between $190 and $200, according to county documents. The district’s pony camps will cost $70 for a one-day camp and $205 for a three-day camp.

Enrollment for forest preserve district summer camps opened Wednesday, Jan. 20. Total camp enrollment will depend on pandemic restrictions come summer, Dombrowski said.

How the new fees affect the district’s budget also will depend on future COVID-19 restrictions. If all restrictions are lifted by the summer, the district could rake in nearly $20,000 with the newly approved fees. Should full restrictions remain, the district expects only about $10,000 in revenue from its summer camps, according to county documents.