LOOGOOTEE — The committee looking to find a new superintendent for West Boggs Park is no closer to filling the job. The committee has spent more than a month looking for someone to fill the job of Jameson Hibbs, who left the position earlier this spring.
“Jameson set a pretty high standard for the job,” said Joint Parks Board Search Committee member Phil Cornelius. “We are still looking. We are just having trouble finding anyone that is qualified to replace him.”
The committee believes the big issue is money. What the park board is offering is not attracting the quality people that they feel they need at the park.
“The committee is recommending increasing the starting pay from $65,000 to $75,000 a year,” said Cornelius. “It’s been a very frustrating search and we hope this will get some more qualified applicants to look at us.”
The committee that is made up of Cornelius, Samantha Bobbitt and Spencer Keller, is expected to make a request for the pay raise to the full board and then present it to the Martin and Daviess County councils in July.
“West Boggs Park has been self-sufficient for years with no reliance on tax dollars and we want that to continue,” said Cornelius. “We did a five year income projection to make certain we can afford raising that salary.”
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of West Boggs Park. A number of events are planned at the park, including a big July 4 celebration. Cornelius says the park is continuing to see the campgrounds booked full while the committee looks for a new leader.
“The people on the staff have done a really good job of keeping things going, and that is great,” said Cornelius. “We have seen what a progressive leader can do for that facility and we hope that we can bring in someone with the kind of vision we need to make West Boggs even better.”
