Eichler’s Cove Management Concerns Parks & Rec.

By John Voket

Parks and Recreation Commissioners are questioning a request by First Selectman Herb Rosenthal to have the town’s Parks and Recreation director run financial oversight at the recently acquired Eichler’s Cove marina and beach. One day earlier, the Board of Selectmen approved a set of rules and rates that include boat launch, slip rental, and beach access fees.

The selectmen were also informed of a pending contract between the town and the Marchetti family to authorize handling day-to-day management, maintenance, and security at the facility, which was previously operated by that family for more than 38 years. While Eichler’s Cove will be run outside the current scope of the Parks and Rec Department responsibility, those rules and rates were apparently formulated and submitted by Parks and Rec Director Barbara Kasbarian, with Parks Commission Chairman Lawrence Haskell formally requesting the selectmen review and approve them.

Ms Kasbarian told Parks and Rec Commissioners Tuesday evening that the first selectman expects her to administer all the funds that will flow through the special municipal account that will be established specifically for the Eichler’s Cove operation.

“We’re going to be running Eichler’s Cove under a special account with the town, and Herb has asked me to administer the fund,” Ms Kasbarian told commissioners. “I can’t say no. It’s money in and money out; it’s going to pay for itself. Whatever has to be done over there is going to come out of the money collected.”

Ms Kasbarian said she fully expected the operation to be eventually turned over to her department. Commissioner Ed Marks said he concurred with Ms Kasbarian’s observation.

“It will eventually [be turned over] but at least we’ll have a sense of history about what’s transpired there, what works and what doesn’t, and until then I don’t think we should include this in our business at all,” Mr Marks said. “But I’m torn about that. I don’t know that [Barbara] should be reporting to us. It’s outside the scope of what you are doing for us.”

Ms Kasbarian said that she expected Parks and Rec staff would be doing work at the facility and that Mr Rosenthal had already asked her to send Parks and Rec workers to the location to inspect the boat launch ramp.

“I thought you were just being asked to handle the money?” Mr Marks questioned. “I’m assuming that we should be charging that special account for work you guys do down at Eichler’s Cove. That would seem to be reasonable if they’ve got their own account for it.”

Commission Rejected Property

Mr Marks said he appreciated the tenuous position the arrangement presented to Ms Kasbarian, but reminded her that the Parks and Rec Commission neither asked the town to review the property nor endorsed the town’s acquisition of the operation.

“Three years ago we went and looked at it and told [the first selectman] we didn’t think we could handle it and we didn’t want it,” Mr Marks said. “We went on a tour of it, and the commission didn’t think it made sense at the time.”

Mr Marks acknowledged that Ms Kasbarian and her staff were already overloaded with responsibilities tied to their own facilities, as well as the recently acquired duties of maintaining the town’s trails network. He suggested she correspond with the first selectman asking that whatever work being done there was compensated out of the Eichler’s Cove operation fund.

But Ms Kasbarian countered that she wanted to sit down with town officials to discuss an amicable arrangement to try and get all the work covered.

Commissioner Carlen Gains said that it was unclear how much maintenance would be required at this early stage.

“There was a whole slew of things that are going to be needed down there,” Ms Crosby said. “[Mr Rosenthal] negotiated [the Marchettis’] salary, he negotiated them living there…”

Mr Marks said he did not have a problem with Ms Kasbarian overseeing the facility’s bookkeeping, but he did not want to see Parks and Rec staff taking time away from their immediate duties to work at Eichler’s Cove.

Commissioner Philip Steimle asked why the parks department was involved whatsoever, when the town was already negotiating with the former owner top manage the property.

“She had to keep books this whole time. All of a sudden she’s not going to be doing that?” Mr Steimle asked.

Mr Marks then said he would write to the first selectman or contact him asking him to clarify what his expectations are of the Parks and Rec Department and its staff.

“What it’s turning out to be is us managing it unofficially,” Mr Marks said.

 

Fees And Rates

During the selectmen’s meeting Monday, the panel approved rates of $1,000–$1,200 per season for town residents to rent boat slips at the marina. The rate would differ depending on the size of the craft with the higher rate being applied to boats 19 feet long or longer.

Mr Rosenthal said if any slips remained after town residents had the first opportunity to rent them, nonresidents on an existing Eichler’s client waiting list would be offered the spaces at $200 more per slip. He also told The Bee that several clients of the Marchettis who had rented slips there for more than 20 years would also be allowed to extend their rentals for the next season.

Individuals who rent boat slips may also rent picnic tables at the facility for an additional $150 per season, first come, first served. A seasonal boat launch pass, reserved exclusively for town residents, would cost $350, and daily boat launch fees for residents only would be $15 on weekdays and $20 for weekends and holidays.

Day passes for the small beach area at Eichler’s Cove would be $5, keeping them in line with similar fees charged at Treadwell Park. The approved rules indicated that swimming would be permitted in designated areas only, and Mr Rosenthal was still researching whether the town would provide lifeguard service there.

The first selectman did say that the town would save a significant amount of money in insurance costs because the former owners would remain living on the property at least through the next season. While Mr Rosenthal told his fellow selectmen Monday that the contract between the town and the Marchettis was not finalized, but he expected to compensate the family $42,500 plus allow the family to occupy a primary residence at the facility.

The Marchettis would be responsible for all utility costs at their primary residence, as well as covering additional rent and utilities so their son can continue to reside in an apartment at the location. Mr Rosenthal said additional cottages at the location would either be razed or burned for fire department training to make room for additional parking.