WINDSOR – Fees for rental of camping sites owned by the Town of Windsor increasing.

At last week’s meeting of the Windsor Board of Commissioners, the governing body agreed by consensus to raise the price for the first time in nearly two decades.

During the February meeting of the board, Commissioner Collins Cooper suggested the town review the camp site because the number of long-term residents there were more than allowed by town ordinance.

Last week, Mayor Jimmy Hoggard said there were currently 11 sites for camping at the area located just off of the Cashie River and town ordinance requires that five of them be open for short-term use. The mayor said currently there is only one space available.

The mayor said there were programs available that would bring bikers in if there were space and they would stay at campgrounds. Those programs are available at no cost to the town, he added.

Mayor Hoggard suggested he and Town Administrator Allen Castelloe go out to the site and see what room was available with the idea of possibly expanding the number of camp sites.

Commissioner Joe Alexander said the $50 per month being charged for rental on those spaces was not very much.

Commissioner David Overton stated the per month fee was over 17 years old. He said his research indicated Green Acres in Martin County charged $300 per month and that other sites in the region charged about the same.

“They offer amenities that we do not,” Overton said. “I’m not suggesting we charge that much. I’m suggesting that we change to $100 (per month) and go from $7 per night to $15.”

Overton suggested that the new few schedule not go into effect until June 1 to allow plenty of time for those who are renting those spaces to be informed of the change.

Commissioner Bob Brown asked if there were people on the site that had been there for more than one year. Castelloe said there were.

“They’re not supposed to be according to our policy,” Brown said.

The commissioner said there was a provision in the resolution that said the spaces couldn’t be leased for more than one year without public notice.

Commissioners agreed that the one year lease could simply be renewed if someone was a good tenant.

“We have some people out there who help us quite a bit,” Castelloe said.

Mayor Hoggard said the town would move ahead with the increased fees and enforce leases and report back with a new resolution that encompassed all the changes. That resolution will be considered at the next meeting.