Delta County Parks Manager Heather LeDuc, right, addressed the Delta County Board on Tuesday about enhancements at O.B. Fuller Park and Pioneer Trail Park. (Courtesy photo)

ESCANABA – The Delta County Board voted Tuesday to add four new sites at OB Fuller Park in Bark River and approved other enhancements and maintenance for Fuller and Pioneer Trail parks.

Fuller Park will receive three new camping sites along Lake Michigan, with the fourth being a forest site relocated to create space for the upcoming playground. The board in November approved transferring $162,597.12 from the Delta County Parks fund balance to purchase the playground equipment.

Delta County Parks Manager Heather LeDuc noted the Parks and Recreation Commission had vetted the costs of each enhancement, which would be taken from the county’s fund balance.

“I think it’s important to remind everyone that the parks do not run on taxpayer dollars. We run on the revenue that we generate, and so some of that money, we want to pour it back into the parks,” LeDuc said.

LeDuc outlined costs for projects in both Fuller Park and Pioneer Trail Park. The board approved the 10 enhancements to be made to Pioneer Trail Park, which include: expanding the well tanks and water heater for the park’s shower building, $9,056.82; expanding the park shower building, $3,000; adding a dog run, $9,680.91; building campground woodsheds, $9,000; and more.

LeDuc brought six items on the Fuller Park redesign plan to the board, including relocating four cabins, $10,000; keyless entry to cabins, $2,475; and more costs related to relocating the cabins. Also on the list as a separate project was adding the four new camping sites, at an estimated cost of $6,500.

While the board approved the four new Fuller Park sites, the commissioners sent relocation of the four cabins back to the Parks and Recreation Commission to calculate additional costs of putting some type of foundation under the cabins other than gravel, as was initially planned.

According to the county’s website, the Fuller Park campground now has 33 sites with electric and water hookups, plus six rustic cabins, four of which have electricity inside and access to water outside.

Delta County will begin taking 2026 reservations for its park spaces spaces on Monday.

In other news, the board —

— Announced the draft of the five-year Delta County Parks Recreation Plan became available for public review Tuesday through Dec. 31. A form to comment on the plan can be found on the Delta County website, https://deltacountymi.gov/parks/5-year-rec-plan/. The Delta County Board of Commissioners will have a public hearing on the Recreation Plan on Jan. 6.

— Tabled a contract between Delta County and Marquette County to house inmates from Marquette County. County Prosecutor Lauren Wickman told the board Jail Administrator Lt. Jeff Vallier and herself will provide a final copy of the contract in the near future, as they are in the process of ensuring the county is protected from liabilities. The contract would assist Marquette County with overcrowding. According to an email sent to commissioners, Delta County will hold 10 inmates at a time. The county will charge Marquette County by the day, per inmate. Delta County will not have to cover Marquette County’s inmates’ medical expenses while lodged in Delta County.

— Decided not to pursue any further legal action against attorney Scott Graham after coming out of closed session on the matter. Graham reportedly stopped communicating with the county after being asked to turn over his files related to an investigation of the Delta County Airport.

— Accepted township zoning contracts between Delta County and these townships: Baldwin, Bay de Noc, Brampton, Cornell, Ensign, Fairbanks, Maple Ridge, Nahma and Wells. The county agrees to contribute $2.25 per parcel count for each township listed in 2026.

— Ratified a memorandum of agreement between Delta County and the Federal Aviation Administration. Delta County Airport annually renews the memorandum, which details maintenance the airport provides for NAVAIDs, or navigational aid(s) in an aircraft.

— Ratified contracts for Angela Hughes and Marnell Thompson as medical examiner investigators in Delta County, effective Jan. 1.

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Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021 or svogelmann@dailypress.net.