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Alderman Questions Spring Lake Contract

Rich Egger

Macomb Alderman At Large Thomas Koch is not convinced the city should be paying the park district to manage Spring Lake and Spring Lake Park.

“Why are we paying them to manage this? They get the income from that (Spring Lake). They are able to tax to manage parks,” said Koch.

“They should be doing this within their own budget as far as I’m concerned.”

The city paid the park district $75,000 per year for the past two years plus covered the cost of utilities, which City Administrator Dean Torreson said cost another $20,000 per year.

He considered it money well spent.

“A few years ago I did a cost-benefit analysis of the city managing Spring Lake Park versus paying the park district to manage it,” said Torreson.  “And it was cheaper for us to contract out than run it ourselves.”

He said that takes into account the income the park district reported from operating the site.

Torreson emphasized the city owns Spring Lake – and has owned it since before the park district was created.

Torreson said the two year contract expired December 31, 2013.   He recommended the city sign a one year extension to cover the current calendar year. The terms would remain the same.  He said this would give the two sides time negotiate a new deal, perhaps covering a longer period.

The city council will be asked to approve the extension during its March 17 meeting.

Rich is TSPR's News Director.