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County committees approve 10‑year Petrified Springs beer garden contract after debate over term length
Summary
Kenosha County approved a 10‑year contract with the Petrified Springs Beer Garden operator after supervisors debated whether a decade‑long term was too long for a for‑profit vendor; an amendment to shorten the term to five years failed in committee.
Kenosha County committees voted to approve a 10‑year contract with the vendor operating the Petrified Springs Beer Garden, a decision intended to encourage private capital investment in the park site.
Parks presenter Wyatt Morris told supervisors the RFP included a 10‑year term to make long‑term improvements feasible. “Ten‑year contracts seem to be fit” for vendors planning capital upgrades, Morris said, noting applicants proposed investments including seating, ADA paving and a restroom contribution.
Several supervisors urged caution. Supervisor Florida Balsky asked for annual reporting and clearer audit and insurance language; others questioned whether a for‑profit concession warrants a decade‑long term. “To go 10 years and not have any substantial recourse, you lose leverage,” one supervisor said when arguing for a five‑year amendment.
Supervisor William Grady moved to amend the resolution to reduce the term to five years; the amendment failed on a roll call after members pointed out the 10‑year length was specified in the RFP and might have deterred bidders if changed post-submission. Parks noted the RFP explicitly invited longer tenures to justify capital improvement commitments and said the winning proposer had made investments at the site.
After the failed amendment, the committees voted to approve the contract as written and asked corporate counsel to fix scrivener errors and distribute clarified documents to the County Board packet.
The resolution advances to the full board for final action.
