The recently formed Starke County Park Board is two members away from being populated. The county council appointed Democrat Rosemary Rose and Republican Debbie Mix to the five-member panel. The commissioners named Marsha Bedrock as their appointee. Starke Circuit Judge Kim Hall has the remaining two appointments to the board. State law requires him to appoint one Democrat and one Republican. All five initial terms will be staggered. The council appointees will serve for two and four years, the commissioners appointee for two and the judge’s appointees for one and three years.
The board will be tasked with oversight and promotion of the of the county’s parks, public open spaces and other county-owned recreational lands. These include the Bass Lake Beach and Campground. The county commissioners have opted to let the park board decide whether to allow continued seasonal campsite leases there after this season. During last night’s commissioners meeting, manager Richard Callahan and his attorney Dave Wallsmith presented the commissioners a list of signatures from campground patrons who have indicated they will not be back for the season next year due to the uncertainty.
President of the Commissioners Jennifer Davis stressed that is a decision for the park board to make. She said she would like to see the beach and campground be cleaned up during the off season and brought up to a first-class standard by next summer. The three commissioners also told Wallsmith they have not gotten any complaints about either amenity during the past month.
