RFP
Full Hookups or Half Truths? New Concessionaire Faces Scrutiny Over Amenities and Accuracy
“We don’t know what we don’t know,” Lance Hamrick told county supervisors last week about the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools. But some things he does know: the water’s hot, the gates are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the hookups include electricity — only electricity. When desert travelers see the phrase…
New Concessionaire Addresses (Some) Community Questions on Tecopa Hot Springs
“Yes, we will be open for the takeover God willing and creek don’t rise,” wrote new Tecopa Hot Springs concessionaire Lance Hamrick — a line equal parts relief and rallying cry for a desert community eager to see the county pools and campground reopen under new management. That promise was fulfilled today, as the Tecopa Hot…
Tecopa Hot Springs Rates Still Under Negotiation Ahead of Nov. 4 County Meeting
When the Inyo County Board of Supervisors rolls into Tecopa next week, they can expect a full house — and perhaps a few raised voices — as locals prepare to weigh in on newly proposed rates for the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools. With pricing still under negotiation, questions about affordability, fairness, and the definition of “local”…
Flippin-Hamrick Crew Officially Takes Keys to Tecopa Hot Springs & Campground
A new era has officially begun at the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground. On Wednesday, the Flippin-Hamrick crew announced they have “received the keys” to the county-owned facility, marking the formal start of their tenure as concessionaire under a new ten-year agreement with Inyo County. The announcement was shared with the community through a public statement…
Inyo County Rewrites the Rules at Tecopa Hot Springs
The Inyo County Board of Supervisors is set to approve a new ten-year agreement at their October 21 meeting, granting Flippin Happy Campers & Lance Hamrick LLC the right to operate and maintain the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools, one of the Amargosa Basin’s most enduring public amenities. The contract marks the third public–private…
Optimism Grows as Tecopa Hot Springs Concession Contract Nears Finalization
After months of uncertainty, momentum is building toward a finalized agreement for the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground & Pools concession. Both county officials and the incoming operators say they’re close to sealing the deal, with hopes of reopening by early November. At the September 23 Inyo County Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Will Wadelton noted…
Heard Around Town: Waiting on the Record
Inyo County has confirmed that it is still in the process of negotiating the concessionaire contract with the selected respondent for the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools. As a result, officials say, TecopaCabana’s public records request related to the submitted applications remains on hold. “This PRA will be resumed once negotiations are complete,” the…
New Concessionaire Recommended for Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools
Inyo County has recommended awarding the concession agreement for the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools to Flippin Happy Campers & Lance Hamrick LLC, opening the door to the next chapter in the stewardship of one of the Mojave Desert’s crown jewels. The County, which issued a request for proposals earlier this year following the…
Heard Around Town: Quiet Work
Property tax assessments for Inyo County landed in Tecopa mailboxes this month, and many residents are facing valuations that have climbed as much as 20 percent over last year. The increases have sparked unease in this small desert community, where modest incomes and fixed pensions are common, and where institutional support is limited. The higher…
Three Decades Later, Unofficial Water Test Used in Official County Process
A water quality report from 1995 is being used by Inyo County officials in 2025 as supporting documentation in their search for a new operator for Tecopa Hot Springs County Park — even though the report was never commissioned by the county. The decades-old analysis was conducted by J. Edward Guilmette, an environmental consultant who…
Past Agreements, Future Stakes: Inside the Contracts Shaping Tecopa Hot Springs Park
As Inyo County prepares to select the next operator for Tecopa Hot Springs Park, prospective applicants would do well to study the evolution of the concessionaire agreements that have governed the site over the past two decades. Two contracts in particular—the 2004 agreement with California Land Management (CLM) and the 2021 renegotiated contract with Tecopa…
Heard Around Town: Water, Wildflowers, and Willpower
SIFPD Declines Water Tank Offer, Focuses on New Fire Stations and 2026 Tax Measure At the most recent meeting of the Southern Inyo Fire Protection District (SIFPD), the board turned down a proposal from local landowner Jon Zellhoefer, who had offered the district use of a water tank located on his property—currently listed for sale…
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…
New Records Reveal Tecopa Hot Springs’ Books
Prospective operators eyeing the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools are poring over Inyo County’s request for proposals, searching for clues and benchmarks that might help them craft realistic financial projections for this iconic but demanding desert site. Newly released financial records spanning three years offer a revealing look at the fragile economics behind one…
Big Fix, Big Risk: Inyo County Lays Out Hurdles for Tecopa Hot Springs Revival
The future of the historic Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools continues to be the biggest news in Tecopa as Inyo County seeks proposals for a new concessionaire to operate, maintain, and—ideally—revitalize this aging desert oasis. TecopaCabana submitted twenty detailed questions to the County, which recently released partial answers to about half of them, below,…
New Bid, Old Problems: Inyo County Opens Search for Tecopa Hot Springs Campground Operator
Inyo County released a new request for proposals on Monday, seeking a qualified concessionaire to take over management of the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools — a move that, on paper, promises a fresh start for one of Southeast Inyo’s most cherished public amenities. But behind the hopeful vision of revitalization lingers a hard…
Final Notice: County Letter Reveals Why Tecopa Hot Springs Operator Walked Away
In Southeast Inyo County, the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools — a longtime draw for tourists and a vital amenity for local residents — is once again changing hands. The private concessionaire that has operated the site for a decade has opted to vacate its lease after receiving a formal 30-day cure notice from…
Records Trace Years of Noncompliance as Tecopa Hot Springs Operator Approaches County Deadline
Since issuing a formal 30-day notice last month demanding that the operator remedy longstanding deficiencies, Inyo County officials have largely refused to answer any questions about the status of the Tecopa Hot Springs Pools and Campground. Instead, inquiries from this publication have been treated as formal public records requests — a move that effectively allows…
Culture of Fear Alleged at Tecopa Hot Springs Campground as County Issues Ultimatum
A long-simmering culture of fear surrounding the management of the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground has come into sharper focus this week—just as Inyo County has issued a 30-day ultimatum to Tecopa Hot Springs Conservancy LLC, the current concessionaire, to bring the facility into compliance or face termination. Representatives of the Conservancy have not responded to…
Future of Tecopa Hot Springs Campground in Question as County Enters Closed-Door Talks
As the slow summer season begins, Inyo County supervisors are entering closed-door negotiations over the future of Tecopa Hot Springs Park and Campground—a publicly owned, culturally significant site operated under contract by a private concessionaire. In a high-stakes closed session today, Tuesday, May 27, 2025, the Inyo County Board of Supervisors is set to discuss…