Volunteer committee to be launched and beach bathrooms addressed
By Barb Pert Templeton
Former Marine City Manager Scott Adkins is back in place having signed a 90-day contract with the city last month. He attended his first city commission meeting on June 18 and updated officials on a few different topics.
“I’m back and you know I have items,” Adkins smiled. “Thank you all for understanding the kind of predicament as I try to catch up on things quick, fast and in a hurry and there’s just a lot to dig through so I appreciate your patience and understanding.”
Adkins told the commission that he’s working on setting up a volunteer meeting in the near future that will include resident Heather Warner, who’s been leading the charge to have residents help the city out.
“We want to get some things in a more organized state and I appreciate Heather all that you’ve been doing trying to encourage people in the community to do their part,” Adkins said.
In the budget moving forward after July 1, Adkins said the city won’t have beach attendants or part-time DPW employees, so a limited crew at the DPW will be doing the best that they can.
Marine City Manager Scott Adkins, pictured here on the left, gives a report to the city commission at a June 18 meeting. City Attorney Robert Davis is pictured on the right.
“I really want to ask everyone out there for their patience and understanding,” Adkins said. “And volunteers are going to be critical.”
The city will be seeking out, not just individuals, but local organizations that can step up to help the city out including local scouting groups, he said.
“Any groups that can help, as well as individuals,” Adkins said. “And Heather and I will work on a little plan to help encourage some folks and I’m inviting the commissioners to tell your friends, your enemies, neighbors, your loved ones or unloved ones, we need volunteers we’re not going to discriminate, if you don’t like them we will.”
The city manager said another area of concern falls to the restrooms at the beach that continue to be vandalized. He said the city continues to battle the issue each summer regardless of staffing and every community he’s ever worked in shares the problem.
“We’re never going to be able to make everyone is happy on opening and closing the bathrooms and unfortunately we’ll never be able to stop certain types of vandalism,” Adkins said. “However the pavilion bathroom cameras are up and running, the police department has already accessed
the damage and I believe they do have some suspects on some recent damager already which is really helpful.”
City Attorney Robert Davis shook his head yes, that they do have some camera footage with suspects in view.
A sign outside the restrooms at the Marine City Beach.
Adkins went on to say the bathrooms have some existing damage and a local contractor is going to donate some time and materials to repair them. The contractor will work on getting the “prison proof vandal proof” fixtures in there.
“They may not be able to tackle all of those fixtures but we’re trying to focus on can you at least choose either the men’s side or the ladies’ side and let’s get one side complete,” Adkins said.
Adkins also noted that in the past the city has relied on the beach attendants to open and close the bathrooms and they won’t be in place this summer so that task will likely fall to the DPW employees or the police department. The issue arises in having those employees return to the park to close the restrooms at the end of the day when they could be responding to other matters in the city.
“I think we’ll try to work out something maybe on the volunteer side as well, again I’m just asking for everyone’s patience and understanding,” Adkins said. “The staffing issue is a problem and we certainly can’t leave them open and take the risk of more and more damage taking place.”
Adkins concluded his report by informing the commission that the benefits of grants the city has received of late are starting to be seen around town. The list includes all new tables and benches plus a swing at the city marina. New signs, including directional ones are starting to pop up around town and the DPW are putting them in place as soon as they can around their regular jobs.
The beach is located at 102 Pearl Street in the city.
