Inyo County Opens Door for Bold Proposals at Tecopa Hot Springs Bidder’s Conference

The path forward for the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools came into sharper focus this week as Inyo County officials fielded questions from prospective operators during a Bidder’s Conference held at the Tecopa Community Center. Many questions were answered, offering new insights into what bidders can and should include in their proposals — and what support the County may provide.

Fielding questions at the Bidder’s Conference were Meaghan McCamman, Deputy County Administrator; Will Wadelton, Inyo County’s 5th District Supervisor; and representatives from Inyo County’s Department of Water and Power (DWP), all on hand to clarify expectations, address community concerns, and outline the County’s willingness to partner on improvements where possible.

The meeting mostly drew local residents, many of whom expressed consternation over the County’s termination of the former concessionaire rather than asking questions about the RFP. However, among the attendees was Lance Hamrick, a commercial real estate professional from Las Vegas, who, according to LinkedIn, has decades of experience in retail and commercial property transactions. Hamrick brought his wife, dog and contractor, and was one of the more outspoken participants, asking several questions, including how the County plans to define who qualifies as a local for required resident discounts.

When asked how to define local residency for potential discounts to use the bathhouse, the County confirmed it could be based on license address or zip code. That choice would have to be part of proposal, not instituted by the county. That could be a tough one to swallow for folks who may live local but have out of state licenses.

New pricing rates for visiting the baths remains flexible. As McCamman noted, “no reason they couldn’t change as part of the proposal submission.” New price rates were requested by the last concessionaire and approved by the Inyo County Board of Supervisors for the 2024–2025 season. 

In a notable shift from the County’s earlier position that all capital improvements would be the concessionaire’s responsibility, McCamman clarified that the County is open to collaborating where bidders cannot invest alone: “Our expectation for the RFP is that you lay out the vision you think is possible and the county will make investments.”

She also addressed a local rumor about the cost of potential upgrades to the site: “I don’t know where the $400,000 figure is coming from”— this number appears to have come from the former concessionaire, as previously reported here, not any formal County estimate.

McCamman emphasized that County support is not hypothetical: “Over the last two concessionaires we have had, the county has made investments,” she said, pointing to the enhanced sewer lagoon, paid for by the county, for which the concessionaire was collecting RV dump fees. “We do actually spend quite a bit of money supporting this place.”

However, McCamman later clarified that the County does not have a million dollars to invest in the campground and requires a concessionaire partnership in order to make the necessary improvements to keep it running.

Ahead of the new operating season, the County is already stepping in to handle critical work. Before a new concessionaire arrives, the County will complete electrical upgrades, including a revamped main panel by the sewer pond and two new electrical poles donated and installed by Inyo County DWP to raise power lines above flood-prone ground. All electrical work will be done by October at the County’s expense.

County officials reiterated their openness to creative proposals: nothing is off the table, they said — bidders are encouraged to be bold and the County will respond with financial, logistical, and “moral” support where feasible.

However, whether the campground will open as usual in October if no qualified bidder comes forward remains uncertain. When asked about this contingency, McCamman said: “We are not there yet. I don’t know what that’s going to look like. It is my great hope that we get some good bids coming in. What I will say is, one of the reasons we held this bidder’s conference right off the bat, before we held community meetings, is because we know we have an October deadline to find a successful bidder, to get them in here and get this place back open.”

When asked if the County would commit to opening the baths themselves, she confirmed there is currently no commitment from the county to open the baths directly.

The session also surfaced long-simmering local tensions. One resident raised an accusation that this website had played a behind-the-scenes role in the prior concessionaire’s contract cancellation — a rumor the County moved quickly to dispel. 

“This has been in the works for a long time,” McCamman responded. “I mean, we came out here and had a walk through with the last concessionaire at the end of 2023 I want to say; and we talked about all the things that were in the lease that were not getting done, and told him that we were serious that they needed to start getting done, and how he needed to change course and what the milestones were going to be, and sent that over to him. So this has been in the works.” 

She emphasized that if anything, it was the county that kept on giving the former concessionaire more chances to comply, over many years. She continued, “This is a contractual relationship between the county and the company that was running this. That part of our contract is not really a community thing, I’m not going to go out and say ‘Tecopa, Paul is doing XYZ.’ It’s inappropriate and we wouldn’t do that. 

“We had a contractual relationship with a concessionaire. It said exactly what was going to happen if they broke their word in that contract and that’s what happened and we gave them many, many, many chances over several years and then we decided to pull the plug. All of our information and back and forth with the concessionaire is public and has been requested through the public records request process so any one of you can also access that information and it is freely available. We have already collated and sent it out and that’s how that information is getting out, because everything Inyo is completely transparent. Feel free to go to the Inyo county website if you want to make a public records request or if you want to see the volume of information and the letters that have gone back and forth with the concessionaire.”

In a final reminder that success will likely hinge on local trust and insight, local hospitality entrepreneur Cynthia Kienitz shared an encouraging note about the community’s resilience and potential: “We need someone who understands the community.”

Whether the next operator will rise to meet that bar remains to be seen. For now, the County’s message is clear: bring your vision, and they may just meet you halfway.


For more details or to request the full RFP, visit procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofinyoca


Comments

2 responses to “Inyo County Opens Door for Bold Proposals at Tecopa Hot Springs Bidder’s Conference”

  1. Raymond Reed Avatar
    Raymond Reed

    First I did not go to this “hope everyone comes” to the meeting – meeting. But, having heard about the discussions and some disgruntle residents I will simply state that one has to appreciate the County’s optimism ! I think everyone in Tecopa has forgotten that Tecopa is in California. California, the State where the building trades workers and the industry itself are NOT welcome. Get out. WE do not want refineries, or oilfields, or co generation plants. All we need are computers, solar vehicles, and to be riddance of cattle and chickens due to their flatulence. The land of butterflies, dream catchers, artists, and monetary residuals paid received for doing nothing is the soul of the state. Businesses are told to leave. Or, businesses leave California because of the complexities of being in business. Corporations are hated in California. My bet is if any contractor takes this project his business will be a corporation. BUT NOW – Tecopa has a need. Come one, come all. The County has a deal for you. Well, here is the deal. The County will not spend the money to restore THEIR property. I have in my 51 year tenure as a California Class A General Engineering Contractor ( 1974) performed work on County, City and State projects as a California Class A General Engineering Contractor. But,this work was performed in a civilization where reality – ws reality. Not a dream world – like Tecopa. The 60’s mind set, pay structure, and attitude best describes Tecopa. As a example. As a California Class A general Engineering Contractor I quote someone in Tecopa $250.00 a hour for myself and my $200,000 excavator. They think its out of line. They think they should pay $40.00 per hour. Not a clue. In Apple Valley its more like $300 to 400.00 a hour. Attorneys charge upwards to $600 per hour. I take my excavator to the repair shop in Las Vegas and its $290.00 per hour for 1 mechanic. The mind set of this area and what people think others should be paid is not reality. The “come to a moment realism” is that the 2025’sh economy in California is an expensive economy with laws demanding employers pay for 3 months off for a pregnancy for the husband and wife, and about 35 other ADA requirements. I am surprised the Governor hasn’t required contractors to pay an “air breathing fee” in this State. Maybe that is next ? The COST of doing business in California is astronomical. A general laborer “bill out cost” for a contractors is $100.00 per hour – not including the shovel or incidental safety equipment. Now think about Tecopa and then take a drive to Apple Valley. Try that every morning and every evening. That’s reality. Not sitting on a cool mountain top in glass windows in a County air conditioned building in Bishop writing a brief outlining 100 requirements to improve the Counties property at the expense of the “rentee” for the Counties benefit. Does this sound dumb ? Who has been smoking to much of what in Bishop? People inTecopa may be few in number but idiots we are not. Maybe the management in Bishop needs to do some drug testing – or buy a dose of reality ! A big big jar of reality. The County thinks (per the local tabloids) that the Tecopa RV County Park is a pot of Gold. Really ? Wake up ! The gossip tabloids even bought into this “pot of Gold” concept. The County is telling everyone the park is a gold pot when its a drain pot. Hey, I have a golden idea for the “dreamers and “wishers” here in Tecopa. How about buying some ocean front property in Arkansas from me. There is only one catch though. You have to build the ocean. Same thing with this park. While although the author forgot in the above article to specify that ONLY CALIFORNIA license contractors could perform the work – the indirect meaning was this. No more call Keiko, or call Art or “Better Call Paul”. That’s history. In the past. Gone. Gone. Gone. HISTORY. Working without a license in the State of California comes with hefty fines and jail time. Contractors have overhead. People don’t. The local “fix it” guys do not have offices, storage facilities, secretaries, receivable and payable clerks, equipment costs, vacation costs, workers comp costs, unemployment insurance premiums to be paid. Their charge is “lets pick a number”. How about $30.00 a hour or I will trade my time for your fishing pole. Like – where are the fish? In comparison contractors rates for a laborer – due to a labor being paid about $20.00 per hour +/- $5.00 will be about $75.00 to $100.00 per hour. A plumber with a truck about $125.00 to $175.00 per hour plus a mileage fee for the company truck, usually about 50 cents per mile. To the point. Every agency I have contracted for – over the past 50 years had a projected cost for every project. So does the County. Who ever estimated $400,000.00 is about 1.6 million off. To pay for building plans, obtain permits and ascertain a California Class B building contractor to come from Lucerne Valley or Apple valley to build a 1400 square foot home in Tecopa will cost more than $400,000.00. Probably closer to $600,000 with travel time, material delivery and a project manager full time on site. A throw up security fence will cost $20,000.00 from Apple Valley from a Licensed Fence contractor. ( Just as an example. This park – way more complex than a house)
    As an example 3 years ago – I had 3 estimates to fence the North end of our park and the West end. NO Nevada fence installers in California. I knew if I used a Nevada fence installer practically every nosy person in Tecopa would be reporting me to every agency short of the 600 agencies in Washington DC. The least of the 3 estimates was $83,000.00. Apple Valley to Tecopa and back every night was 4 hours travel time per day. Mobilize and demobilize equipment, pay for a permitted load of concrete from Pahrump, the highway permit alone was $350.00, per load. The concrete almost $250.00 a yard. There were 6 loads. The out of Pahrump area charge was an additional $150.00 per hour for the concrete truck to travel to Tecopa and to get back to Pahrump plus accumulative time over 30 minutes once here at $150.00 per hour. ( I was the general contractor and paid a fee for the concrete provider to the State of California. Why ? I could not find a single concrete supplier in Barstow or Apple Valley that would dispatch a concrete mixing truck to Tecopa because they said the distance was to far requiring to much time resulting in the concrete in their trucks hardening before they arrived. ( they bounce up and down going about 50 MPH on highways fully loaded. So, that ship did not sail.)
    Cost of Labor in Tecopa: A good rule of thumb is for each person dispatched to the county RV park here in Tecopa from any California licensed contracting firm in Apple Valley, Lucerne Valley or Fontana will be averaged at $100.00 per man hour. If traveling 4 hours per day that will be at time and 1/2 for 4 hours or $150.00 X 4 = $600.00 for 1 person. $10.000.00 a day for 6 people would be an estimate from Apple Valley to Tecopa not including vehicle mileage fees, and reimbursements for lunchs and dinners on their way home) To cut to the chase. The county has an estimate. Bank on that. Know that. That estimate scares them. Their property, their vision, their requirements and their prayers that someone anyone will bite this “lead” bullet. The County engineers know the cost. $400,000.00 is a joke. Where did that figure come from ? Was it from a contractor that someone handed them the requirements from the County ( doing their due diligence) then paid the Contractor $1000,00 to drive to Tecopa and look over the desolate and decomposing rv park and then agreed to pay that contractor a fee of about $50,000 to provide them an accurate estimate for time, manpower requirements and a cost ? I think not. The County hopes a sucker is in Tecopa and this sucker THINKS the number is $400,000.00 that they submit a quote. So, they get the work. HOO Rah. Then reality sits in —- “Oh My God – what did I do”? Now the stress begins. Attempting to ascertain California Licensed contractors will result in one contractor after another refusing to come to Tecopa. Its the “I ain’t going to do it” – to “far away” mentality. To many opportunities for accidents on the road, accidents on location resulting in their workers compensation Insurance tripping or even quadrupling for the next 4 years after completion of the project unless O.S.H.A. shuts them down while on location as a result of an employee or a sub contractors employee suffering an amputation, life long impairment or even an eye injury. California Labor Code 6425 is brutal- huge fines and penitentiary time. Workers comp insurance costs are based on experience modification rates with 200,000 man hours computation per year. 1 sliver of dust in an eye resulting in a prescription drug for the eye is a re portable accident. There goes ones bank and the wife out the door with several suit cases in hand. Workers Comp Insurance doubling or tripping for the next 4 years. Workers coming to Tecopa can not find a gas station or a grocery store but illegal contraband – you bet ( Meth, Fentanyl, Cocaine, Marijuana, Heroine)etc can be bought anywhere in Tecopa. The result is managers can not control ther employees from harming others. Accidents on the road, potential fatalities – climaxing in the owners going to jail and spending potentially $500,000 or more in legal fees and court costs. Hello California. Hello Tecopa. Finally the County’s engineering estimate is huge. The county does not want to modernize the park and will do EVERYTHING it can to NOT modernize the park. Any person interested inclusive of Tecopa residents, the authors of the various gossip tabloids in Tecopa should DEMAND that the County modernizes “their” park. They own it. Its their problem. Deal with it. Letter after letter. Call after call. The truth is this. The county permits will be much easier to ascertain by the county because its the left hand – right hand concept. Inspections for the Counties work performed by the Counties contractors will be easy peasie. Throw in a contractor and its honey for the bees. Everyone jumps on the contractor. Like bees to honey. Misery for the contractor and added expenses for the developer. THE MEETING. Talk was worthless in this meeting. Unless its reading the contract word by word, and explaining each word in the requirements. Parse every word, parse every sentence. And, then parse some more. Read the fine lines.When one thinks they are done – go back and parse each and every word in the Counties requirements – again. The again. Highlight the key words. The Counties “written contract”, word by word, sentence by sentence will prevail over anyone stating anything contrary to the stipulations in the County’s contract in a meeting consortium in Tecopa. Fact – the Counties Vision. The Counties Requirements. The County owns the land. The County is obligated to do their own modernization at the Counties expense, and stress.

    The county bean counters start counting your beans. The counties hope is that someone is stupid enough to take this project. The Monday morning quarter back perspectives and glowing prophesies of Sage brush sally, and the various authors in the other gossip tabloids will be the thorn in the developers / contractors saddle. If you do not believe this – ask yourself this question. What prompted – as the final straw – the county to remove Paul Barnes ? Ironic how gossiping tabloids, at that very point in time, was instrumental in the shutting down of this park, while although not perfect, the park was functional. The water flowed. The local soakers – soaked. Some by choic. Some because of necessity. Now they can kiss that good bye. Paul did his best with what little revenue he had to keep the park open. Congrats to the tabloids. Now all the Tecopa residents have is a no trespassing sign and locked gates. I guess they can sit in the water as it flows out on the West side of the road. The only ones happy about the park being closed, and Paul being told to vacate are the authors and the gossip seekers in the tabloids. Make the calls to the County. Tell the County to take care of their own park. Just Do It ! Once the park is completed; the Counties money spent to the tune of $2,000,000.000 plus in their attempt to comply with the Counties forward thinking concepts for a RV park restoration that is only open about 5 months a years, with no local labor resources, located in a desolate desert town, with camp and soaking charges decided by a group of people 4 hours away, in a practically abandoned mining town where no contractor wants to go – with visionary forward plans being drawn up in a beautiful government supplied air conditioned office in Bishop California – is a nightmare of a dream! A nightmare of nightmares. Sweetheart your screaming . Wake up. Wake up. Wake up sweetheart ! Its a dream. You are having a nightmare of a dream. Now – please let me wipe the sweat off your head and get you another dry pillow. Gotta get up sweetheart, quit fooling around. Get out there in that RV park and feed the Bombers, and wash out the tubs, and pour concrete, and replace underground sewage piping, and modernize the bathrooms, and be thankful the County awarded you – their headache.

  2. Sandy Valley Neighbor Avatar
    Sandy Valley Neighbor

    Wow I will read whatever Raymond Reed is writing because he is absolutely spot on when it comes to this muckraked crisis.

    The $400,000 figure did not come from the previous concessionaire. If anyone would have read California Land Management’s contract from 2004 that Inyo County disclosed they would see that there were $450,000 in improvements that Inyo wanted from CLM in 2004 and never received. So $450,000 in improvements after 21 years of inflation the cost for the improvements which the County is requiring are most likely in excess of $1,500,000 (although Raymond’s estimate of $2M could very likely be accurate). The debt service on a $2M loan at 8% interest is $40,552.79 a month for a 5 year term for a location that is only open 5 months a year. If one only pays the loan when the campground is actually operating, it is around $80,000 an operating month. The Conservancy was not running a business; it was running a charity.

    I am not the resident who raised the issue that “this website had played a behind-the-scenes role in the prior concessionaire’s contract cancellation” but I agree with that person. Except that it has not only been behind the scenes but transparent for everyone who reads this screed to see. Burning down the campground is easy; it only took a match. Building up the campground will take big bucks. I hope since you ran the Conservancy off of the road that instead of continuing to post the drumbeat that you will come forward with a concrete plan to find someone willing to sink $1,000,000+ into a campground that does not make enough money to even service the debt. We look forward to your application and ideas to actually feasibly build something instead of continuing to divide our community.

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