Athens County Commissioners could be in the position to take over Strouds Run State Park along with the city of Athens.
Strouds Run does not generate revenue for the state while other parks, such as Salt Fork State Park near Cambridge, create profits by renting lodges. This, as well as budget constraints, are reasons for the change, said Lenny Eliason, Athens County Commissioner.
Yesterday at the county commissioners meeting, commissioners met with Doug Franklin, assistant dean of recreation and wellness at Ohio University. Discussions among state and local officials to transfer control of the park have been ongoing, and Franklin offered to do a study to analyze the economic prospect of the park to local officials.
The park could deteriorate or be sold off for housing if the current maintenance style continues, said Mark Sullivan, Athens County commissioner.
The study is to assess the city's capacity for taking over the park and what deterioration has happened at the park. Because of the increasingly tight state budget, funding for the park was reduced from about $300,000 to about $160,000, cutting park employees and park maintenance, Franklin said.
The park would be a financial burden to both the county and the city, but both entities still are making deliberations over the future of the park.
The park is outside of Athens city limits, so it is debatable whether or not the city can run it.
Franklin said he believed it would take a collaborative effort of volunteers from Hocking College, Ohio University and Athens County to keep the park open.
Also at the meeting, the motion from Sullivan to accept an energy grant died when the other commissioners failed to second the motion. If accepted, solar panels would have been put on the Athens County Building Annex to create solar power, Sullivan said.
I thought that it would save the county money in the future. Sullivan said.
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Andrea Golby
