The Starke County Park Board hopes to have a five-year plan in place by mid-January. President Roger Chaffins told the county commissioners Monday they’ve enlisted the Troyer Group from Mishawaka to help with the process. The commissioners previously allocated up to $15,000 for the project. Chaffins advised the park board had negotiated Troyer Group down to $18,000 from their original price of $21,300 and requested additional money to pay the difference.
The commissioners agreed to allocate an additional $3,000 from the Cumulative Capital Development Fund to proceed. A five-year plan is necessary to qualify for state grants for parks and recreation. It must be sent to the DNR by Jan. 15, 2017 in order to qualify for next year’s cycle.
The plan will include long-term goals for Bass Lake, Koontz Lake, the county’s trail system, the Starke County Forest and the Range Road crossing.
Members of the public can offer input during a Monday evening meeting. It will start at 6 p.m. at the county annex meeting room.
