The Starke County Park Board members are attempting to improve activities in the park systems in the county.
The park board members approved the installation of business internet at the Bass Lake Beach and Campground. Park Superintendent Mark Vendl said it would help with conducting credit card transactions and provide greater bandwidth for campers who utilize the internet for entertainment, and sometimes business purposes. It could also help in emergency situations. Starke County Attorney Marty Lucas will review the contract and make any changes as necessary.
They took action Tuesday night to approve a snow roller which will allow for cross country skiing in the Starke County Forest. It could also be used for potential snowmobile trails. They approved the purchase of the Tidd Tech snow roller in the amount of $2,133. Trails for cross country skiing could be made available this winter with this expenditure.
The members also agreed to purchase commercial-grade aluminum docks in the first of three phases of purchases. With that will come higher rental costs, but those costs have not yet been finalized. The purchase of the docks totaled a little over $31,000 from Larry’s Marine.
The park board also agreed to buy paddle boards and additional life jackets with grant funds, contingent upon the approval of the Starke County Community Foundation officials. The foundation provided the park board with grant funds to purchase kayaks, but they want to be sure that the money can be used for this purpose.
The snow roller, aluminum dock and WiFi purchases address suggestions in the recent call for public input in the five-year Master Parks Plan.
