Frustration is building at the non-profit that has run the Kemper Center lakefront park for Kenosha County for the past 50 years.
The non-profit’s contract with the county expires in 2027. County Executive Samantha Kerkman tells WGTD she’d like to hear from other entities that might have an interest in running the county-owned park, or groups for that matter that have ideas for other parks in the system including Petrifying Springs, home of the highly successful biergarten. Kemper Center Inc.’s contract with the county expires in 2027.
Speaking on the WGTD program Civic Affairs last Saturday, Kemper Inc. Vice-Chair Mark Bourque said the delay in negotiating a new contract is beginning to create operational problems for Kemper, where weddings are sometimes booked two years in advance.
Bourque is calling for an immediate start to contract renewal talks. “This conversation should’ve had taken place by the prior administration and they should’ve hammered out whatever needs to be hammered out or renegotiated… so that we can get on with the business of making the Kemper Center the jewel and gem on the lakefront that it is,” he said.
A consultant hired by the county recently identified four options for the county in dealing with the county park. They included renewing the current contract, soliciting proposals from other potential operators, having the county run it or letting the former girls’ school sit idle.
Kerkman prefers soliciting proposals, although nothing definite has been set.
While Kemper Inc. runs the collection of historic buildings for the county, the county, with city help, covers capital improvements.
Kemper Center Inc. recently hired new administrators and rejuvenated its board of directors. Bourque, a former board member, was brought back along with Gary Groenke who now serves as board chair. “People like Gary and I have been asked to come back on the board to change things, and I think we’ve made significant changes,” he said. Several new administrators have been hired, including a new president, Beth Prammey.
In a conversation with WGTD several weeks ago, Kerkman said her suggestion to issue requests for proposals for all of the county’s parks is a sound business practice and does not necessarily signal a dissatisfaction with any of the existing partnerships.
While the request-for-proposals plan might be good in some situations, Bourque said the idea is creating uncertainty for his group that has run the former girls’ school for the county for nearly 50 years. Unlike some of the county’s park partners, Bourque noted that Kemper Center is strictly non-profit.
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