Starke County Park Board Minutes – 09/15/15
Board Attendance: Roger Chaffins, Skyler Ellinger, Debbie Mix, Rosemary Rose.
Call to Order at 6:05pm at the County Annex Building Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call -All current board members are present.
Roger motioned that the minutes from the August meeting be accepted as corrected. Rose seconded the motion. Vote and Motion carried. Corrections include: under SC Forest last; paragraph, “Perhaps a legal stay would allow time to find a long-term solution.” And, under Bass Lake Beach & Campground, paragraph 6, “he should have been notified, and he hasn’t been’. Mr. Callahan pointed out that he should be invited to attend the inspection. Debbie suggested that if the board members attend an inspection with the inspector, there should be 2 board members – one from each political party- for the sake of equal representation. Or, the inspector can inspect on his own. ·
Bass Lake Beach and Campground Update:
Mr. Callahan handed in individual receipts with notations on them where the materials used was what he could estimate. They were handed back to him with a request to put them in some orderly fashion before submitting them. .
Mr. Wallsmith requested that the board meet with he and his client, Mr. Callahan, in an
executive session to re-negotiate the terms of the lease. His request was to meet after the next
board meeting in October. Discussion regarding definitions for capital improvement and · maintenance will be tabled until that meeting.
Starke County Forest- The Marsh at the Forest was discussed. A letter of complaint had been made by a neighbor with added addresses on it that brought the issue of flooding to the Drainage Board. The Drainage board has ruled that the beavers had to be removed. No one from the: Drainage board was present, nor did a representative of Territorial Engineers appear before the board. Mr. Wakeland, Forest manager, reiterated his resolution to find a long-term solution for the
forest. Mr. Ellinger spoke with Commissioner Danford, who stated he would like to get this issue
resolved and if we can find a solution that will keep the neighbors from flooding, he will be happy to accommodate. Mr. Wakeland noted a possible long-term solution is to make a bypass ditch round the marsh. It was noted that permits from the Indiana DNR and the US Army Corps of Engineers would be necessary to disrupt marshland and remove spoils from the area. It was noted that there’s a culvert at 1100 N, and a 2nd culvert on private property. That culvert is completely submerged under water. There’s a 2.63′ drop, and that would mean the obstruction is between 1100 and the Marsh. Mr. Wakeland believes the beavers can’t be blocking it. Further discussion brought a consensus that we need experts to help guide us. There is a species of beaver that are federally protected and it is unknown what species we have at the forest. All marshland is federally protected, although it was conveyed by some that was not a concern for everyone.
With no further discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 7:25pm. The next meeting is on October
20, 2015, 6pm at the Annex building.
Respectfully submitted by Deborah Mix, secretary.