Marengo looks for someone to run concessions at Lion’s Park

MARENGO — The Marengo City Council is again looking for someone to lease the concession stand at Lion’s Park.

The City attempted to find someone to operate the concession stand last year but had no takers, said City Administrator Karla Marck during the March 12 meeting of the Marengo City Council. A couple of parties are interested this year, she said.

“They will be required to have a lease agreement,” said Marck. The agreement gives the lessee exclusive rights to sell hot and cold food, beverages and other items from the concession stand at any event occurring at Lion’s Sports complex.

The city will provide a pop cooler, two refrigerators, an upright freezer, a popcorn machine, a hot dog roller, a microwave and large and small slow-cookers or crockpots, according to the lease.

The lessee will have access to storage on site.

The lessee is responsible for obtaining and keeping in force all permits required by the Iowa Department of Public Health and training managers and employees and volunteers working for the lessee.

The city will provide water, electric and sewer.

The lessee will be required to keep general liability insurance and to name the city an additional insured.

The tentative agreement asked for $500 in rent from the lessee for the season, and Marck asked the council if it wanted to lower the rent.

The city didn’t used to charge for operating the concession stand, said Financial Manager Ellen O’Rourke.

Mayor Adam Rabe said the city might want to charge a business but not a nonprofit.

Councilman John Hinshaw suggested not charging rent, since the city had no one interested last year.

“It’s better to have something than nothing,” he said.

Marck said the sports teams use Lion’s Park in May and June. She’d like the city council to approve a lessee by the first of April.

The city also addressed pool personnel during Wednesday’s meeting.

Because finding lifeguards is difficult — nationwide, apparently, said Marck — the city council voted to pay for lifeguard training, suits and accessories at a cost of $355-$395 per person or about $8,000 for 20 lifeguards.

Red Cross Certified Training costs about $275 per person. Women’s swimsuits are about $75, men’s $35, and the city would also buy hip packs, cover-ups and whistles and lanyards.

The head lifeguard would make $15.25. Lifeguard pay was set at $13, and window workers, who would also work at the top of the slide, would earn $8.50 an hour.

Start-up costs for the pool are increasing as city staff finds items it needs, such as soap dispensers, trash cans, recycle bins and lounge chairs, said Marck.

The city has budgeted enough to cover the expenses, said O’Rourke.