Gilmer County commissioners are mulling going to Carters Lake.
More accurately, they are studying the possibility of creating a county department to take over anywhere from one to four recreation areas at the lake now operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“It is probably the most major thing we have jumped into,” Post commissioner Dallas Miller cautioned the board.
Budget cutbacks by the U.S. Army Corpss of Engineers for the recreational areas are squeezing the ability to operate the areas of Harris Branch, Doll Mountain, Woodring Branch and Ridgeway Park.
If budget trends continue, some of the recreation areas are in danger of closing as early as 2022, said Miriam Fleming, operations project manager for Carters Lake.
Budget constraints have already caused the day use areas of Doll Mountain and Woodring Branch to be slated for closing during the winter months. In the past, they were open all year. The closing would affect the boat ramp at Woodring, but not at Doll Mountain.
There are two possibilities. Gilmer County can outright lease and operate one or more of the areas for 10 to 25 years or the county can opt for a cooperation agreement, or challenge cost sharing cooperative management in the Corps parlance, where the county and the Corps jointly manage an area.
The county can also mix and match using an outright lease on an area and co-op manage another.
Under a lease, Fleming said her office would still receive funds for two more years to operate the area, increasing the likelihood areas not leased would remain open. All funds collected by the county in a straight lease would be part of the county’s budget with no strings attached.
Under a co-op agreement, the county could collect fees to manage the area, and Fleming’s office would still receive its budget which would allow for more improvements to the areas. The catch is, any funds collected by the county must go to the operation and management of the areas.
“If we do this, we will be the first ones in the country to do this under these new authorities,” said Fleming.
Post Commissioner Miller, who was attending his final meeting before his resignation took effect, talked about his concerns.
“I do have some serious reservations in my mind,” he said. “I am not sure we know how to run something like this.”
Miller said he doesn’t want to see the areas closed. He would like to see the recreation areas be a separate enterprise for Gilmer County if they chose to go down that road.
Revenue for the recreation areas is $300,000, while expenses are $500,000. The shortfall was Miller’s big concern.
Fleming said the figures represent the total budget for the entire recreation project area, including the ones in other areas bordering the lake. She also pointed out the county could collect the fees which are currently going to the U.S. Treasury and keep them for operations while being bolstered by the Corpss budget.
“I really want us to look at it closer than we have,” Miller said.
Post Commissioner Karleen Ferguson has been leading the discussions with the Corps. She has a relationship with them through her business.
Originally the commissioners were looking at Oak Hill when Fleming mentioned the recreation areas to her.
Ferguson’s preference would be to lease Harris Branch outright and co-op manage the other three areas. The idea Fleming would still be around to help out with the other three areas would provide a comfort level for her.
“We can receive money and they still can receive money,” she said.
One advantage for the county is they could find extra ways of enhancing revenue, like selling concessions, which the Corps is prohibited from pursuing.
Ferguson acknowledges the county would have to hire a director for the area.
She said she talked to Public Safety Director Keith Kucera about any burden it might place on him. In the conversation, he told her they already operated at the lake, but they have to take their boats in and out of the area instead of storing them at the lake.
“I also realize with my tourism background it would hurt tourism for those areas to be closed,” Ferguson said. “And disappointing for local residents.”
She would like to work out a solution in time to keep the boat ramps open which are slated to be closed for the winter.
County Chairman Charlie Paris said there is not an urgency because any change would be made when lake traffic was low.
“If we do take any of them, we need to take them in the offseason,” he said. “I would rather start off with one, at the most two.”
Paris voiced his preference to move slowly and get experience before taking on too much burden. He agreed the county would need to find someone with expertise at running similar areas.
He said the discussion would continue at an upcoming special called meeting.