Elk Creek Campground near New Castle in Colorado has taken various steps to handle code violations and other issues with Garfield County, the property’s representative told county commissioners on Monday.
Still, county officials said that the owner or any successor could be held accountable for up to $12,000 in fines for allowing tenants to stay illegally on the premises throughout the winter, according to a report.
County Commissioner Mike Samson, for one, stated that he’s likely to push for the fine.
“I think we seriously need to look into this notice of default,” Samson said, suggesting possible fines of up to $100 per day since the campground’s violation. The campground was scheduled to close for camping on November 1, 2021.
The commissioner even suggested using some of the money to be obtained to reimburse tenants who paid rent in advance before they were told to leave before winter ended.
On Monday, Sean de Moraes, who was named the receiver in the foreclosure case against campground owner Beau Haines, told the commissioners that four campers are at the campground because they’re frozen in and cannot move until the ice and snow melt.
They’ve been told to move as soon as possible, according to de Moraes.
The permits authorize seasonal camping at Elk Creek Campground between May 1 and November 1. Documents stipulate a 60-day limit for camping, but neighbors and previous campers claimed that the limit hadn’t been enforced for years.
A private engineer’s inspection found that the campground’s septic system isn’t flowing into New Castle’s Elk Creek water supply, de Moraes stated.
A different contractor fixed the water system at the campground, and the water is now chlorinated again. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Garfield County officials have been in the know throughout this process, he added.
The pile of garbage on the property has been removed as well.
As per De Moraes, it’s possible that the campground could open for the season on May 1, though the ownership of the campground isn’t certain.
This story originally appeared on Aspen Times.