Despite hard economic times, Independence Township Parks and Recreation is looking to open Deer Lake Beach in full next summer, with a few possible extra perks.
Township Board asked Parks and Rec Director Mike Turk to come back with a plan to extend hours, adjust revenue for permitting and daily use, as well as break even on swim lessons. Turk presented three options.
‘All three have their advantages and disadvantages,? he said. ‘The bottom line is to keep the public safe and secure, as well as provide the highest quality service possible.?
Option one would be to install an emergency 911 pole, costing about $3,000. Concerns include boat launch and parking lot, unsupervised children and teens, boaters mooring on the beach, and no lifeguards on duty.
Option two includes emergency pole, staffing of 1.5 shifts, and operating cost totalling $4,500. Concerns include no life guards on duty and no swim lessons.
Option three is a fully operated beach with swim lessons at a total cost of $55,200.
‘Personally I don’t think we should do option one. I think it’s too unsafe,? Turk said.
Supervisor Dave Wagner asked Turk which option he recommended.
‘I think we can operate the beach safely, sufficiently, using option two and that’s manning it during the busy time,? Turk said. ‘We’d probably bring in another person to make sure that the boat launch ran smoothly.?
Trustee David Lohmeier said he leaned towards a hybrid concept between options two and three, coming up with ‘option 2.5.?
‘There is a middle ground I’d like to see us explore,? he said. ‘We fund what we normally do, fully staffed, fully life guarded. I’d like to look at putting the pole in and paying for it by offsetting some reduced hours and keep it in $55,200 range.?
Lohmeier noted the pole would give them a tool in case budget pressures came up. He also said it might allow for some extended hours a couple nights a week.
Clerk Shelagh VanderVeen said option three is expensive, but she wasn’t sure if they covered themselves fully for liability under option two.
‘Under option one, we’re not assuming any liability,? she said.
Trustee Larry Rosso also liked the hybrid concept. Petterson said he likes options two and three, and may be ‘splitting the difference? with Lohmeier. However, he’s concerned they lose $55,000 every summer.
‘My main concern here is a little bit of cost recovery, he said. ‘I don’t know how to do it, that’s your forte. I hate to raise the price of a baby coming into Deer Lake, that’s not legitimate.?
He also talked with Anita Banach from Clarkston schools who said if the township didn’t need lifeguards they could use them at the high school.
‘I think it would be wise of us to get together with Clarkston Schools because they had mentioned to me the fact we do have overlapping programs and we need to get together and collaborate these programs,? Petterson said. ‘Now is the time for us to start coming together, we’re out of money.?
Turk said they worked with the schools before and it did not work out very well. He said programs similar to Parks and Rec were duplicated by the schools.
‘I think the stigma has to stop, that ‘we’re losing $55,000 on a beach,?? he said. ‘We’re investing money in our kids. We’re not losing anything, we’re investing.?
Treasurer Curt Carson asked they could make some revenue by selling keys to the beach, like they do for the boat launch after hours. He also suggested contracting out swim lessons.
Trustee Neil Wallace said he is ‘mostly an option three person.?
‘I take the point about the extended hours, but I think we need to have some staff there, like something out of option two,? he said. ‘I’m more of an option 2.7 rather than a 2.5.?
Wallace noted he did not want to give the schools the beach and understood the desire for cooperation, but said it needed to ‘come from the school’s end.?
Deer Lake resident and member of the homeowner’s association Rob Namowitz said a beach issue is ‘there are a lot of rules and they’ve been fallow for a long, long time? and he would like to see more cooperation between the township and the lake association and more enforcement.