The Starke County Park Board has once again tabled a discussion on electrical upgrades at the Bass Lake Campground.
Last month, the facility’s operator, Callahan Development, LLC, presented a plan to increase electrical capacity to the back half of the campground and replace a broken underground cable. Under Callahan’s lease, the company is supposed to cover all maintenance costs, but capital improvements approved by the park board ahead of time are covered by the county as a deduction in Callahan’s rent payment.
When the park board picked up the discussion Tuesday, Board President Richard Ballard said he’d come to the conclusion that the cable replacement costing just over $200 wasn’t eligible for county funding, but the $7,800 capacity increase could be. But other members had some concerns.
Rik Ritzler pointed out the operators knew what the electrical capacity was and have decided to rent spaces for increasingly energy-intensive RVs anyway. Ritzler added that Callahan has built up a sizable credit on its rent payment due to capital improvements that have been approved, and he wanted to know the exact figure before moving forward. Similarly, Board Member Chris Lawrence wanted time to research whether the electrical upgrades are in line with the park board’s 10-year plan, and if so, whether the whole campground should be upgraded at once, rather than half.
