Starke County now has a park superintendent. Marc Vendl was appointed to the position during a special county park board meeting Thursday. The park board says Vendl previously served as the park administrator for the City of Logansport and also spent many years managing campgrounds and beaches in Texas.
In Starke County, one of his main responsibilities will be the Bass Lake Beach and Campground. During Thursday’s meeting, he told campers that he has a plan for the facility, but he wants to hear from them before sharing it.
“I drove through the park and I thought, ‘This place is a dump,’ Vendl said. “I mean, there’s cars sitting in there. There’s trailers all over the place, as far as boat trailers, stuff like that. There’s no organization to the park whatsoever. So we’ve got to work on that.”
Vendl said he does want seasonal campers who are willing to “take ownership” in the campground, but he also wants space for overnight visitors. “You can’t market something that’s not marketable,” he said. “We’re not marketable yet, but we will be.”
As a next step, he plans to meet with campers on Sunday, September 4 at noon at the Bass Lake Beach House.
Vendl said he’s no stranger to the area, since his family has owned property on the lake for 40 years. As county park superintendent, Vendl will also oversee the Starke County Forest, although Forester Bruce Wakeland will likely continue to play a role in its management. But whether or not his authority would extend to a beach at Koontz Lake was the topic of a brief but heated debate at the end of Thursday’s meeting.
Park Board President Richard Ballard said Vendl was one of two “excellent” candidates interviewed for the position, and Board Member Kathy Norem said he’ll be given the top end of the specified salary range. His first official day on the job is September 13.
