Robust weekend breaks earnings record

Camden Snow Bowl in the black so far this season, but another $7,000 needed to finish redevelopment audit

Lynda Clancy

Wed, 02/22/2017 - 5:00pm

Camden’s Acting Director of the Camden Snow Bowl/Parks and Recreation Beth Ward addresses the Camden Select Board Feb. 21.

CAMDEN — The parking lot at the Camden Snow Bowl was packed this past weekend as many New England public schools began their winter break. And the skiers turned out, contributing to a record-breaking revenue stream spread over five days at the mountain.

“We are confident that this weekend was the busiest one ever at the Snow Bowl,” said Morgan Laidlaw, chairman of the town’s Ragged Mountain Four Season Committee, speaking to the Camden Select Board Feb. 21, at a regularly scheduled meeting in the Washington Street Conference Room.

He qualified his statements by saying the numbers were unofficial, and were based on ticket sales and the sellout of equipment rental; in the end, however, and from Friday, Feb. 17, through Tuesday, Feb. 21, the Snow Bowl took in approximately $80,000.

“Out-of-state license plates filled the parking lot,” he said. “Ticket stock for Sunday day was sold out, and the rental shelves were empty.”

Even with the “great influx of people the mountain handled it seamlessly and the trails were never crowded,” he said. “There were smiles everywhere.”

Preliminary revenue numbers for the weekend, as supplied by Camden’s Acting Snow Bowl Manager Beth Ward, indicated that the mountain took in $13,000 on Friday, $19,000 on Saturday, $27,000 on Sunday, $20,500 on Monday, and $13,500 on Tuesday.

The news was golden to a town weary of disappointing fiscal news from the municipally-run mountain, and lent renewed optimism that the Snow Bowl could end its 2016-2017 season in the black.

Laidlaw did not comment on expenses from that same five-day period, but later in the Select Board meeting, Acting Town Manager Roberta Smith said the town office was drilling down into Snow Bowl expenditures, including those related to snowmaking and equipment.

“I want to know what it is and how we are going to pay for it,” she said.

Despite the recent hefty snowfall, enthusiastic skier turnout and favorable revenue stream, the town is still waiting for the results of an independent audit of Snow Bowl finances, as they relate to the mountain’s redevelopment project.

The scope of the audit apparently deepened beyond what was anticipated, and Smith told the Select Board that she was allocating another $7,000 from the town’s contingency to pay for it.

The town is contracting with R.H. Smith and Co., of Buxton, to perform the audit. In early January, the Select Board agreed to spend up to $12,000 from its own contingency for the task. The Select Board said then that it wanted a full forensic audit of what had been spent to date on the $8.5 million redevelopment project, the earthworks of which began in 2014.

The audit is to analyze and make transparent all the transactions associated with the mountain trail reconstruction and other project aspects was to have been completed by Feb. 15.

But, the workload, and then several snow days that prohibited the auditors from traveling to Camden, extended the deadline.

Town Attorney Bill Kelly said after the Feb. 21 board meeting that the scope of the audit had deepened, and Smith said at the meeting that the auditors needed more time to sort out the Snow Bowl’s fiscal tracks of prior years.

“Have they told you anything,” asked the Select Board, of Smith.

“Nothing other than the need for additional accounting services,” she said.

While Smith updated the Select Board about Snow Bowl finances, she also provided a genereal financial update of the town. In delivering the report, she asked the board for its budget goals, and the members agreed the next fiscal year, 2017-2018, would be a “recovery year.”

The Select Board did approve a 2 percent cost of living increase for union and non-union town employees.

“This report is something you should have every month,” she said.

Smith climbed back into the town manager’s seat in late January, following the sudden resignation of former Town Manager Patricia Finnigan. Smith had been Camden’s town manager until her retirement in 2011, followed by Finnegan.

A Rockport resident, she agreed to help run Camden again while the town searches for a new town manager.

“There are a number of items I have circled, and I have spent a fair amount of time posting corrections,” said Smith. “There are some areas of concerns — office supplies and computer lines are 90 percent spent, and have some upcoming expenditures.”

Smith said the town’s professional services line has been overspent by $35,000. Of that, $10,000 had been spent on legal fees, though she did not know yet what they related to, and $25,000 had been spent on the Tannery project, apparently for landscape design, said Smith.

“When you overspend a line like that you have to find it somewhere else,” she said.

Smith said the police department “is in pretty good shape,” but that the harbor budget had been overspent by $13,000 on part time salaries and public landing restrooms improvements. Likewise, the Opera House marketing budget had also been overspent.

A $4,400 overage in grounds maintenance for parks was recorded, “but the department as a whole is not too bad and that may work itself out,” said Smith.

She concluded by saying a muncipality should, at this point in the fiscal year (July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017), be 62 percent of its way through its budgeted expenditures. She advised that the numbers would be made clearer by the board’s March meeting.

“This picture will change,” said Smith.

Enterprise and the Snow Bowl future

At the same meeting, the Select Board approved two contracts between the Snow Bowl and two vendors there — Charlie Pearson, doing business as Ragged Mountain Sports, and Mike’s Catering, doing business as French and Brawn Catering. The contracts expire in the spring.

“I know there have been some comments as how this has been handled,” said Select Board Chairman John French.

Those comments filled the community, both in conversation and on the internet, since early January, when the Select Board required both Cold Toes Tacos and Sidecountry Sports to halt business operations on at the Snow Bowl and obtain approval from the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals to function in the town’s rural recreation district.

Public outcry questioned the parity of town process and procedures, and residents asked why vendors at the municipally-sponsored Toboggan National Championships were not required to get ZBA approval.

At the Feb. 21 meeting both Brian Kelly, co-owner of Sidecountry Sports, and Alison McKellar, Camden resident, questioned how the town would move forward to ensure fair policy for all existing and future vendors at the mountain.

“How is it going with Sidecountry and Cold Toes Tacos,” asked French.

“It is going well for everybody,” responded Acting Snow Bowl Director Beth Ward. “When the ski area is hustling, so is everybody.”

McKellar asked whether Ragged Mountain Sports and Mike’s Catering needed ZBA approval.

“Charlie did it 26 years ago,” said French.

“How do you draw the distinction between municipal use [and independent vendor], and how do you decide that,” asked McKellar.

Town Attorney Bill Kelly replied that the Toboggan Nationals, the annual three-day event that invites vendors to the mountain to sell food and goods, was municipally-run; therefore, the vendors did not require ZBA approval.

“They are not there every week, and it’s not long term,” he said. “It’s a different animal. In my view, it falls within municipal use. The same thing is for French and Brawn. It’s namely within the lodge, it has been there, and it has been part of what the town decided what that use is for the Snow Bowl.”

Mike’s Catering is part of the municipal use, he said.

“Will everything need ZBA approval,” asked McKellar.

Kelly responded that the town might look “forward to the future to modify what’s there to give flexibility.”

Brian Kelly said, “It is critical to allow Mike and Charlie to operate unimpeded.”

But, he advised that the town consider circulating requests for proposals for vendor functions, a process by which “might provide for innovation and growth.”

With built-in policy mechanisms, there could be more opportunity for the Snow Bowl to create consistent revenue, Brian Kelly said.

“What room is there for other kind of vendors, other kind of situations we aren’t thinking about,” asked Select Board member Marc Ratner. “Do you have ideas?”

Brian Kelly said, “there are smart people in the community who have ideas,” and suggested Camden pursue more revenue opportunities in the non-skiing seasons. He mentioned another community that invested $6.3 million in a former pit mine, converted it to a cycling area, and now sees a $23 million return.

Kelly also suggested on-hill improvements with lighting and snowmaking, as well as paddle sports — canoeing and kayaking — on Hosmer Pond.

“Most businesses would do their best to be compliant if they knew what to be compliant with,” said Kelly, rounding out the discussion about how the town improves its relationships with enterprise at Ragged Mountain.

Camden and the Snow Bowl redevelopment: One citizen's inquiry into the cash flow (Feb. 2, 2017)

Camden Snow Bowl Manager resigns; Camden commences new town manager search (Jan. 27, 2017)

Camden Town Manager resigns (Jan. 18, 2017)

• Tacos, fat bikes and demo skis at the Camden Snow Bowl this weekend

• Camden orders Snow Bowl financial audit; to negotiate with Sidecountry, Cold Toes Tacos

• Following public outcry, Camden Select Board moved to help put two entrepreneurs back at Snow Bowl (Jan. 11, 2017)

• Camden, Rockland entrepreneurs told not to set up shop at Snow Bowl this weekend (Jan. 7, 2017)

• Camden Select Board pledges oversight of Snow Bowl spending, approves $920,000 budget (Aug. 4, 2016)

• Shaping the Camden Snow Bowl budget: Spend more to make more, or rein it in? (August 4 2016)

• Camden voters approve dipping into surplus to cover Snow Bowl's $297,303 deficit

• Camden Select Board forms new Ragged Mountain committee to advise the Snow Bowl (June 7, 2016)

• Camden Select Board chastises itself for Snow Bowl deficit, forms new committees to help