ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – Escanaba’s Recreation Department took over operations of the city’s Municipal Marina in February. Wednesday evening, Recreation Director Kim Peterson met with the public to discuss the upcoming season.
Peterson spoke with boaters, fishermen, and local residents about her plans for the marina, which include a larger staff than recent seasons.
“We have four coming back from previous years,” she told the marina meeting attendees. “We have three coming back from last year, one coming back from two years ago, and we have seven new employees.”
One of Peterson’s priorities is maintaining and growing the marina’s current offerings.
“We have two boat launches,” she said. “We have the fish cleaning station. We have the events, we have tournaments, we have kids’ derbies. We’re going to expand upon that also.”
The Recreation Department will also work with the Harbor Advisory Board to secure grants for necessary projects like dock repairs and fuel tank replacements. However, due to the timeline of the department taking over operations, those funds will likely be applied for early next year.
Although the Recreation Department oversaw the marina about 15 years ago, some attendees questioned the takeover, as well as Peterson’s qualifications.
“The more experience that’s there, the only way it’s going to work,” one attendee said. “It can’t be run from an administrative level.”
A fisher and boater herself, Peterson says she is asking the marina community for a chance to prove her dedication. She also noted that she is working closely with former harbor advisors to ensure a bright future for the Municipal Marina.
“We need to forget about what happened two weeks ago or a week ago and move forward,” interjected original Harbor Advisory Committee founder Jim Hansen. “There is a ton of knowledge that’s sitting in this room right now, and we need to reach out and assist in any way we can to make this a very successful venture.”
“If you have any concerns, let us know,” said Peterson. “We’ll work together. That’s the only way things are going to get done, if we work together.”
In the coming weeks, Peterson says she will be developing a five-year plan for the Municipal Marina with the Harbor Advisory Committee.
Click here for WZMQ 19’s previous report on the Recreation Department overseeing the marina.
