Campground managers, city part ways; job listed as open

Mitchell city officials have parted ways with the managers of the city-owned Lake Mitchell Campground and are searching for a replacement.

The campground has been managed the past three years by Lee and Sandy Parks under the terms of single-year contracts. The couple requested a contract for 2010, but that request was rejected Oct. 13 by the city Park and Recreation Board, which discussed the issue during a closed session.

Mrs. Parks said the sole sticking point in the talks was a grandchild that she and her husband have taken in. The grandchild “had gotten into trouble,” Mrs. Parks said, and city officials do not want the grandchild to be present at the campground.

“That was the only thing,” Mrs. Parks said in an interview with The Daily Republic. “We didn’t leave on bad terms or anything. I just wish we could’ve stayed there. We both really enjoyed it.”

Bob Everson, the president of the city’s Park and Recreation Board, and Randy Ahrendt, the city’s director of parks, recreation and forestry, both declined to comment on the city’s rejection of the Parks’ contract request.

The campground, located along the shores of Lake Mitchell in the northern part of the city, has 70 camping spaces.

Annual reports from the city’s Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department show that 3,270 people used the campground in 2008, compared to 4,357 in 2007 and 3,852 in 2006. The annual report for 2009 will be published next year.

The campground manager position has been advertised recently in The Daily Republic’s classifieds, with Friday as the closing date for applications. A city committee will conduct the interviews.

The salary will be negotiated with the successful candidate. The City Council has budgeted $18,270 for salaries at the campground next year.

The position runs for seven months, from April 1 to Oct. 31.

The manager or managers are required to live in a mobile home at the campground during that time and may also live in the mobile home during the rest of the year.

Tags: lake mitchell campground, news, local