Clark County Public Works is seeking applicants for an open volunteer park host position at Captain William Clark Regional Park at Cottonwood Beach. Volunteer park hosts live at their assigned park and assist with creating a safe and welcoming environment for all visitors. This popular 75-acre site includes 3.1 miles of easy trail that runs along a dike paralleling the Columbia River and features spectacular views of Mount Hood, along with beach and water access at Cottonwood Beach, restrooms, historic interpretive elements and reservable picnic shelters. The next park host will help care for this park and its visitors. 

Volunteer park hosts live at their assigned park and assist with creating a safe and welcoming environment for all visitors. Host duties include (but are not limited to): 

• Cleaning park restrooms daily and as needed in response to messes
• Opening park gates by 7 a.m. and closing gates at dusk (one half-hour after sunset) daily
• Notifying park users when the park is closing
• Emptying park garbage cans at least once daily, and as needed
• Picking up litter daily
• Notifying staff of emergencies, urgent maintenance needs or impacts of severe weather
• Helping to identify and respond to safety and security concerns in the park

The park host at Captain William Clark Regional Park at Cottonwood Beach must reside in the county-owned residence at the park. Clark County provides basic utilities for the host including electricity, water, sewer and garbage/recycling. 

All park host service terms are through Dec. 31. A host may be offered a term for the next calendar year based on results of a performance evaluation performed in the late summer or early fall. 

Applicants offered positions must submit to state and federal background checks and fingerprinting, provide a rental history and proof of renter’s insurance. Successful applicants will not be able to move into the park and begin service until all required documents have been submitted, they’ve been cleared through the background check and fingerprinting process, and their agreement has been signed by the county manager. Due to the variable amount of time required for these processes, successful applicants must be prepared to not be able to move into their assigned site for several weeks. 

More information about these positions, the volunteer park host program policies, requirements, minimum qualifications, duties, and more can be found at clark.wa.gov/public-works/volunteer#host. 

Applicants are encouraged to apply online at https://clark.wa.gov/public-works/volunteer#volunteer-park-host. Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. Translated application materials and interpretation services available upon request to Cindy Gonzalez, volunteer program coordinator, at cindy.gonzalez@clark.wa.gov or 564.397.1679.

For information about road and park projects, closures, opportunities for community input, and more, residents can follow Public Works on X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook and Instagram and view information on Nextdoor.