The Park Board opened discussion Aug. 5 on pursuing a Destination Development grant to help pay for planned additions at the Lake Store, and reviewed recurring equipment failures and seasonal restaurant hours. The grant application is due Sept. 1, and the board described a likely minimum application target of $200,000.

Board members said the Lake Store project would include a new common area that could be used for events separate from the restaurant, repairs or replacement of the deck, and finishing the activities pad so the recreational component is fully funded. “It’d be nice to have a little separate area that they could be in and still have the restaurant going on,” one board member said. Members also discussed adding materials to the ceiling to reduce noise in the dining area.

The board agreed to continue working this month to settle on a scope the staff can include in the grant application. A staff member said the grant program’s funding mix is set by the legislature and that the county may not qualify fully under the recreation category; board members called the effort “worth a shot” even if chances are a long shot.

Separately, the board reviewed repeated freezer failures at the restaurant. Staff reported the two‑year‑old system has failed multiple times this year, sometimes due to a fan motor or thermostat problems; on one recent occasion, an alarm did not sound and refrigerated food thawed. Board members discussed adding a second backup alarm, programming options to mute the alarm during daytime use, and a monitoring system used by Public Health that sends alerts when temperatures surge. One staff member said they would check that option and report back.

Members also discussed restaurant hours for the fall and winter seasons: the restaurant will switch to fall hours the weekend after Labor Day; winter hours were described as tentative and under discussion. The board noted progress on the pickleball court — posts are installed and fencing will be added when weather allows — and asked staff to follow up on the deck and septic tank protections to reduce the risk of freezing over winter.

Why it matters: the Lake Store is a county-owned park asset whose expansion and reliable operations affect tourism, recreation programming and concession revenue. Grant funding could reduce local cost but requires a clear project scope and cost estimates to be competitive. Ending: Board members asked staff to develop a grant-ready scope and to return with a cost estimate if the application proceeds; no formal vote to apply was recorded at the Aug. 5 meeting.