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Harrington discusses lake improvements: campsites, paid fill station, shower house and possible $25K–$50K grant match
Summary
The Harrington City Commission reviewed options for lake improvements — including campsite redesigns, upgraded electrical pedestals, a paid fill station, a shower/restroom structure and a possible leased storefront — and signaled support for setting aside up to $50,000 as grant match funding.
The Harrington City Commission held an extended discussion about plans for lake and reservoir improvements after staff said the city has funding available to pursue several upgrades.
City Manager Brad Motti said the city recently received funds the commission should steward carefully and proposed a two- to three-year plan that could include campsite designs, upgrades to electrical pedestals, additional pedestals to reduce breaker issues, a paid water fill station for RVs, new signage and rock, and small fencing projects. “I think a good idea would be to kind of start to budget those funds in a manner where we're not immediately spending them all,” Motti said.
On campsite design, staff said options under consideration include leveling pads, pull-through sites for larger RVs, and dividing campsites to avoid multiple hookups to a single pedestal — a configuration that has caused breaker problems. Motti said some pedestal or wiring work could reasonably be charged to the electric fund rather than the lake fund because users are charged for electricity.
Commissioners and staff discussed a paid fill station to limit unsupervised use and provide an automatic shutoff. Staff said options include card readers or coin machines, with a card reader likely the easiest to operate and maintain. “There’s options for kind of, machines that take coins, cash and card or just card. I think if we can get card out there in this modern era, that's probably going to be most accessible for people,” Motti said.
The commission also discussed building a shower house and restroom structure, and the possibility of adding a small leased storefront or bait shop through a public–private partnership. Commissioners noted that water and sewer connections would increase project cost and complexity; staff highlighted that connecting potable water to the lake area could be constrained by the capacity of the existing Hope/Woodbine water line.
Motti said the city currently has roughly $200,000 available for lake projects and recommended carving out $25,000 to $50,000 as a grant match to pursue external funding sources such as CDBG or other recreational grants. One commissioner said she was not opposed to earmarking no more than $50,000 for potential grant matches if that money is not used within a few years it can return to maintenance budgets.
Commissioner Deb Urbonic urged the commission to use the adopted lake master plan — which includes campsite designs — rather than commissioning a new design. Staff agreed to review the master plan, provide estimates for leveling and number of pedestal posts, and return with design options and cost estimates in coming weeks.
Separately, staff updated the commission on a proposed enlargement of a disc golf course site negotiated by resident Dennis Bashholtz; staff said a lease-purchase arrangement was under consideration so the city could acquire the land over a 15- to 20-year term while spreading costs across budget years.
No formal ordinance or appropriation was adopted at the meeting; commissioners directed staff to pursue designs, pricing, and grant research and to return to the commission with costed options and possible grant match proposals.
