Berrien County parks director outlines repairs, grant-funded projects and budget shortfall ahead of 2026

Jill Adams, parks director for Berrien County, told the county Board of Commissioners at a Committee of the Whole meeting that repairs and several grant-funded improvements were completed in 2025 and that staff will seek grant funding for larger capital projects in 2026.

Adams said county staff completed major sidewalk repairs and an entrance lane extension at Silver Beach County Park and that a spark grant helped pay for a new playground. “The entrance lane extension and sidewalk diversion project at Silver Beach was also completed this year,” Adams said. She added that the changes “proved to [have] many benefits to the management of pedestrians and vehicles at the park.”

The parks department demolished the river shelter at Madeline Bertrand County Park in Niles and has ordered a replacement pavilion paid for with grants and donations. Adams also described multi-month repairs to the disc golf course and said staff are working on a materials management plan driven by recent changes in state solid-waste laws; a grant was received to help pay for that mandate.

Adams told commissioners the department is out to bid for illustrative plans and construction estimates for restroom improvements at Silver Beach and a pavilion at Madeline Bertrand, with planning expected in early 2026 and implementation to follow if grant funds are secured. “Right now, we are out to bid for illustrative plans and construction estimates for improvements and upgrades to the restrooms at Silver Beach County Park,” she said. She also identified restroom needs at Galien River County Park in New Buffalo Township and Paw Paw River County Park in Watervliet.

Adams described an urgent maintenance-facility constraint: the parks system expanded from four properties totaling about 450 acres to seven properties totaling about 650 acres, but maintenance facilities have not kept pace. She showed a photo of the Love Creek maintenance facility and the county’s primary equipment storage, saying staff are “completely bursting at the seams” and that addressing safe and adequate maintenance workspace is a priority.

On finances, Adams said the parks operating budget is funded from special funds and does not rely on the county general fund for operations. The proposed 2026 parks budget supports daily operations but faces pressures she identified as a roughly $118,000 increase in salary and benefits due to a minimum-wage change and a nearly $300,000 planned use of fund balance to balance the 2026 budget. Adams said staff will continue to seek grants and meet one-on-one with commissioners to review specifics.

Adams cited a 2022 capital-needs study by Avid Marsh that recommended creating a dedicated capital-improvement funding stream of $600,000 annually to address deferred maintenance; Adams confirmed the department would need that amount in addition to routine budgets to meet the study’s recommendations. “Avid Marsh recommended that a dedicated capital improvement funding stream of $600,000 annually be created to ensure that the parks are maintained properly,” she said.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about facility locations and flood risk at the Love Creek maintenance site. Adams confirmed parks operate three maintenance locations—Madeline Bertrand in Niles, Silver Beach, and Love Creek (the pictured facility)—and said Love Creek is the primary hub because of its central location. She said the Love Creek facility floods when a nearby low point called “Lake George” fills, and that is an item to address.

Why it matters: Adams presented the parks department’s capital needs shortly before the board’s budget workshop and ahead of grant-application cycles. Commissioners were given the department’s 2026 budget projection and materials supporting grant applications and capital planning.

Adams closed by reiterating that the parks department manages five active grants and will continue to pursue external funding to avoid further reliance on fund balance.