Parks staff credit contractor after explosive vandalism at Puckaway; committee to consider retaining $15,000 contract

At the June 8 meeting of the Marquette County Parks & Rural Planning Committee, county parks staff reported two recent explosive vandalism incidents at the Puckaway boat landing restroom and praised contractor Daryl Christensen for immediate cleanup and repairs.

The presenter said someone “threw something explosive” into the restroom’s waste trap, producing damage so severe the toilet base bolts were sheared and the ceiling was blackened. Police and a detective have been notified, cameras were installed to seek suspects and staff provided photos and documentation to support potential prosecution. “We paid him $15,000 a year. That position’s been under scrutiny the last couple budgets about being cut. I’m going to show the $15,000 we pay him is well worth it,” the presenter said.

Committee members described the incidents as dangerous and disruptive to park users. The presenter said the contractor cleaned the site, replaced or reinforced fixtures and worked with deputies to collect evidence; staff are tracking timelines and photographs to build a prosecutable case. The presenter said the most recent incident occurred over a weekend and that neighbors reported hearing a loud explosion.

The discussion expanded to the broader value of the contractor’s on-call work, which staff said includes bathroom cleaning, dock repairs, removal of hazardous debris, and emergency tree work after storms. The presenter listed multiple small but recurring tasks — dock clearing, kiosk repairs, beach cleanup — and argued those duties save the county money compared with highway or outside contractor rates.

Committee member Karen Wampler said she reviewed the list of duties and now recommends against cutting the contract. The presenter said the committee should place a formal recommendation on next month’s agenda to keep the $15,000 contractor line in the next fiscal year’s budget.

The committee did not vote on the contractor’s funding at the June 8 meeting; members agreed to put a formal motion on the July agenda. Staff said further work will include continued coordination with law enforcement on the vandalism investigation and documentation of damages and responses.

Next step: the committee will consider a formal motion to retain the $15,000 contractor allocation at its next meeting.