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 Island’s 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 Island’s 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 Marina’s budget, over the last four years, has been slashed around $100,000 and has lost 1 ˝ positions.  When Larry Modena died his Grounds Supervisor position was eliminated and his duties were primarily delegated to Dave in addition to Dave’s 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 Club’s 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