Flathead County will extend its lease with PacifiCorp for Sliter Park in Bigfork for another five years, the county Park Board unanimously decided Monday.

The county entered into a lease with PacifiCorp more than 35 years ago and has continued to renew the lease in smaller time increments after the original 20-year term expired. The current lease expires July 30.

Paul Mutascio, president of the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork, said the foundation is pleased the county will continue leasing the popular park, a centerpiece for summer activities in Bigfork.

The Bigfork Development Co., doing business as the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork, has pumped well over $100,000 into Sliter Park over the years to improve the facility.

Two years ago the county considered dropping its long-running lease for Sliter Park. County Parks and Recreation Director Jed Fisher said maintenance of the highly used park has been an ongoing challenge for the county. Fisher told the county commissioners costs have continued to go up because of higher use, especially during the Fourth of July celebration, Whitewater Days and other popular events.

The foundation has been paying the annual lease fee of $231.40 per year; that amount will be adjusted for inflation in the upcoming lease and is expected to be somewhat higher, Mutascio said.

The foundation also pays $3,500 a year to the county to help cover maintenance costs. Fisher estimated the annual operation and maintenance costs range from $4,000 to $12,000 a year.

In addition, the foundation spent about $16,000 to improve the stage facility about four years ago, paid $27,000 to remodel the bathrooms recently and spends about $12,000 to $15,000 to hire contract labor to empty the trash and tidy up the park on a daily basis during the summer season.

“We’re lucky to have generous people in town,” Mutascio said.

This year the foundation plans to invest money into repairing the stage stairs.

“We’re already in discussions about that,” he said. “It won’t be that much money. We’ll pay for materials and the county will build it out.”

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.