New attractions at the Bass Lake Beach will also bring a need for more staff. With a kayak rental being planned, Starke County Park Board Member Kathy Norem thinks it would be a good idea to have at least a couple temporary summer workers.
“Someone that could sit at the gate and take the money that comes through there, and when those kayaks come in, they could rent the kayaks out. They could accept the payments from the campers,” Norem explained during Wednesday’s special park board meeting.
Staffing at the Bass Lake Beach gatehouse can sometimes be intermittent. Manager Larry Clarich told board members that there isn’t enough volume to warrant someone being there during the week or at certain times of the day. “We’ve always stopped collecting at the gate between three and four o’clock because it just curtails off, but then everybody knows, ‘Hey, we can sneak in later,’” Clarich said. “But who wants to sit there for 10 hours a day?”
Staff typically includes Clarich and Bass Lake campers who apparently volunteer to sit in the gatehouse and collect admission fees. Having another set of eyes on the money was another big reason Norem wanted to add summer help. Up until this year, any revenues were kept by the beach and campground’s private operator, but now, they’re all supposed to go to the county. Some apparent confusion as to when that change actually took effect has led to a $42,000 discrepancy.
Board members felt the summer positions would be a good fit for WorkOne placements, which would come at no cost to the county, but they weren’t sure that could be organized in time.
