GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users,
Over the last four years, with the economic situation and the Utah State
Legislature taking a hard look at State Parks operations, Utah State Parks
has taken some very serious budget cuts and has had to look hard at
consolidating operations. One of the areas that has been studied for
consolidation was Great Salt Lake State Marina and Antelope Island State
Park. Well this is no longer being studied but actually being implemented.
Great Salt Lake State Marina and Antelope Island State Park will combine
into one Park COMPLEX. In general, what this means is that we would
consolidate management and employees under one park management. Although
the two parks would operate under one COMPLEX we will function as separate
autonomous entities.
You, as a slip renter or marina user, are unlikely to see any real change.
The changes you do see may actually provide more opportunities for you. So
let me explain what will happen with this COMPLEXING of the two parks. Then
I will explain some of the benefits you may see that we are working on.
1. Jeremy Shaw, the Manager of Antelope Island State Park, will become
the manager of the COMPLEX. His office will be based at Antelope Island
State Park
2. John Sullivan, the Asst. Manger of Antelope Island State Park, will
become the Asst. Manager of the COMPLEX. His office will be based at
Antelope Island State Park
3. Kent Cummings, the current Asst. Manager of Great Salt Lake State
Marina, will stay as the Asst. Manager of the marina. His office will be
based at the Great Salt Lake Marina.
4. Dave Shearer, the Harbor Master of the Great Salt Lake State Marina,
will now become the Harbor Master for Great Salt Lake State Marina AND
Antelope Island Marina. He will also be the lead for Search & Rescue for
the whole lake. His main office will remain at the Great Salt Lake.
5. Bob Rosell will become a Park Ranger and work primarily at Antelope
Island State Park. His office will be based at Antelope Island and he will
work with Dave in the day-to-day affairs of the Antelope Island marina along
with his other duties as a ranger. Bob will still be working part time at
the Great Salt Lake Marina.
6. Antelope Island State Park will remain Antelope Island State Park
within the complex
7. Great Salt Lake State Marina will remain Great Salt Lake State Marina
within the complex.
8. One of Antelope Islands maintenance employees will work at least one
day a week throughout the year at Great Salt Lake State Marina.
9. The dedicated Great Salt Lake Marina Search & Rescue team will remain
Dave, Kent and Bob.
Antelope Islands budget has been cut substantially in the last four years.
They lost one full-time maintenance position and they lost three law
enforcement positions. This proved to be difficult for them. They went
from four full-time LE officers to one full-time LE officer. Antelope
Island State Park was in desperate need of Law Enforcement help.
Great Salt Lake State Marinas budget, over the last four years, has been
slashed around $100,000 and has lost 1 ½ positions. When Larry Modena died
his Grounds Supervisor position was eliminated and his duties were primarily
delegated to Dave in addition to Daves duties as Harbor Master. Dave was
assisted by a seasonal (part time) maintenance employee. But that seasonal
maintenance position was also eliminated in the new budget leaving the Great
Salt Lake Marina in desperate need of maintenance help.
Hence the thought of COMPLEXING operations of the two parks. Although Great
Salt Lake State Marina needs a law enforcement presence in order to meet its
contracted responsibilities, we do not have a lot of law enforcement needs
compared to other parks (this is due to the fact that we have a great
community park rather than a transient park like most parks transient
meaning different people visiting each day rather than the same people). We
can afford to share law enforcement with Antelope Island. Antelope Island
has two full time maintenance positions along with seasonal maintenance
employees. They can afford to share maintenance with us. In addition we
are working on securing the funding between the two parks to hire another
seasonal maintenance person that work 10 hours a week year round at the
Great Salt Lake Marina. This would potentially put us back to 20 hours a
week of maintenance help.
As I stated earlier, you as a slip renter, will likely see little change and
may actually realize benefits. Bob will still work part time at the marina.
Kent and Dave will still be working full time at the marina. The faces you
are used to will still be here. The day-to-day management of the Great
Salt Lake Marina will still remain with Kent and Dave. Our budget will
still stay with us. Although Jeremy will be the manager of the complex he
intends to leave the Great Salt Lake Marina to run itself to better serve
its clientele. After all, he still has a large park to run himself. But he
will have involvement and oversight of the Great Salt Lake Marina.
And you will see an increase on maintenance support at the marina. Many of
those projects we had to put on the back burner because of staffing and
money, will now become priorities again. We will be able to repair light
poles, docks, floats, water lines, sprinkler systems and other projects
rather than just focusing on high priority items such as broken water lines
and broken docks. We can start focusing more heavily on preventative
maintenance rather than band aids and splints. And we can move ahead with
park improvement projects once again.
Another benefit you will see is greater access; Greater access to Antelope
Island Marina, favorite anchorages and hiking trails. Over the last year we
have negotiated a deal with Antelope Island management to open up the long
closed beaches on the west side of the Island. At present you can go to
shore and walk along the beaches up to the high water line. Well that will
open up even more. We are working on designated anchorages where you can
access trail systems and hike greater portions of the island including to
peaks. These designated anchorages may even include primitive camping
areas. And it will mean even greater reciprocity for the marina up there.
You can simply call me and arrange a slip at Antelope for the day, week or
even a month or more. In essence, we will be working to open up greater
areas of the lake and its islands for your recreation and enjoyment.
There is also a desire to provide more services at both marinas. We are
working on proposals at this time and some of them are being looked at very
favorably. More information on that will be available soon.
We will be going through with the COMPLEXING process starting today. The
official date the actual COMPLEX will be finalized will likely be February
15th.
Jeremy Shaw (Complex Manager) and John Sullivan (Complex Asst. Manager) will
be coming down to the Great Salt Lake Marina on Saturday, January 28th to
make themselves available to answer any questions you may have and to visit
with you. This is the same date as the Yacht Clubs Polar Bear Cup. It is
also the date that the Harbor Master (that would be me) holds his annual
Clam Chowder feast at Trestle Dock (my home at the marina). The Clam
Chowder feast will begin around 1pm. All marina patrons are invited to
attend. This is when and where Jeremy and John will be that date. I will
be sending out another email about the specifics of this social within the
next day or two. PLEASE RSVP so I know how much chowder to plan for. Side
dishes are welcome.
In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to
email me. I will be happy to answer them to the best of my ability.
Dave Shearer
Harbor Master
Great Salt Lake State Marina
Antelope Island Marina
801-250-1898
