Bay Shore Park in Brown County. PC: Fox 11 Online
BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – With city events announced and plans underway to welcome draft guests to Titletown, some questions are being asked about third party rentals of Brown County Campground sites. One county board supervisor asking for an investigation.
With upwards of 200,000 people expected in Green Bay for the 2025 NFL draft and a limited number of hotel rooms available, the Brown County Board approved the early opening of county-owned campgrounds as an alternative place for people to stay. The board setting the rental fee, for a campsite at $100 a night, with a minimum three night stay.
“We can only charge as much as it costs us to maintain that campsite. So, if we charged $100 which we have, we’ve gone up to $100 where it’s usually $30-$60, we’re covering some of those expenses, we can’t make a dime more,” said county board supervisor Patrick Evans.
Since the end of September, reservations have been coming in, but it’s an offer by Paul Quinnette of Paul’s Trailer and R.V. Center that is ruffling some feathers.
“All of the rooms in the area had been booked up already/we can probably rent some campers like we do when people come for EAA,” said Quinnette.
He and a partner are offering to rent people either an 8 or 6-person camper, to be used at Bay Shore Park Campground.
For $1200/night, for the 8-person camper, with a four night minimum, Quinnette would haul a trailer to the campgrounds and set it up on site for the draft renters. An additional fee can be paid to provide linens and kitchen essentials.
According to Quinnette, “It basically comes to approximately throughout each camper to $150/person per night on the base price.”
That proposal isn’t sitting well with Brown County board member Patrick Evans. Evans submitting a communication to the county’s corporation counsel asking if this type of rental agreement is even legal.
Evans said, “This is a county campsite. It has been funded by the taxpayers of Brown County. It’s maintained by the taxpayers of Brown County. We can’t make profit on it. But then you have somebody that is coming in that’s going to make $1200/night and it’s only costing them $100/night to rent it. It burns me because this is a county, this is a public entity.”
Despite questions about the legality of what Quinnette is proposing, the Brown County Parks Director says not only is it legal but it is something other campers have done out here at Bay Shore Park, in the past, during the regular camping season.
Quinnette says the backlash is unwarranted, adding, “What are they saying to every hotel that is normally $150/night that’s now $500. Please look around at what everybody is doing.”
Evans said as a businessman himself he supports entrepreneurs, but the county campground is a public entity – not a private one, like a hotel. “This campground isn’t meant for somebody to come in and make a big profit. The campground is set up to make sure that people can get together, have a good time and affordably do it,” he added.
Quinnette said he’s had some inquiries about his rentals for the draft, but no official reservations.
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