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Former Alderman Frontrunner for Spring Lake Park Job

Rich Egger

A Macomb City Council committee is recommending the city award the contract for managing Spring Lake Park to a person who served on the city council the past five-and-a-half years.

Ryan Hansen resigned as first ward alderman last week. He told the city council’s Park and Pool Committee Wednesday that he could manage the park for $80,000 per year for a three year period.

Hansen provided the city with a detailed plan for overseeing the park, which Committee Chair Don Wynn said he appreciated.

“It was more along the lines of what we were looking for.  We were looking for somebody to actually take it over, take over Spring Lake, and build it up and make it better, rather than just to take it over and run it,” Wynn said.

Hansen’s proposal recommends improvements to the park during the three-year period.  The first year improvements include:

  • Numbering all campsites for tracking payments
  • Replacing docks
  • Adding picnic tables
  • Painting fences

Hansen also said he will contract with David Schomburg of Panthertrax Inc, a software designer and systems analyst, to build a website for Spring Lake Park.  In the first year Schomburg will provide:

  • All web design
  • Google and Google Maps recognition
  • Email
  • Interactive applications for employment
  • A volunteering interface

On January 1, 2016, Panthertrax will provide an online registration program and smartphone app for campsite registration with the ability to accept credit card payments.
The only other bid for managing the park came from Doug Silberer, who was not present at Wednesday’s meeting.  He offered to do the job for $160,000 in the first year and for slightly more each of the next two years.

The full city council will review the committee’s recommendation during its October 27 Committee of the Whole meeting.  Final action could be taken the following week.