With the Burleigh County Commission's and county park board's rejection of a Bismarck Parks and Recreation District parks management proposal, more decisions will have to be made.

Perhaps the biggest decision is future management of the McDowell Dam recreation area which is owned by the Burleigh County Water Resource Board and has been managed by the Bismarck Park District for the past 30 years.

County commissioner Marlan Haakenson, who has consistently opposed the agreement with the Bismarck district, will be presenting a proposal for management of McDowell and the other county park properties at the Tuesday meeting of the water board.

"Basically, I'm going to see if they (the water board) are interested in having us -meaning the county park board take over operations of McDowell," Haakenson said. "I think the county park board can maintain McDowell at its present status or do even better."

What makes McDowell perhaps the most important immediate decision is that the Bismarck Park District has a long established program for the facility and also has a full-time employee who lives in a house provided by the water board.

According to Bismarck Park District director Steven Neu, Forrest Ecklund has been with the district for 25 years and his continued employment with the county or park district will be a sensitive issue.

Haakenson proposes the county hire Ecklund to continue operating McDowell and expanding his duties to oversee management of the county's other parks and recreation facilities.

"I think he (Ecklund) does an excellent job and if he wants to stay on, as a county employee, I will do the utmost that he have the same pay, benefits and everything that he has through the park district," Haakenson said.

If Ecklund does not choose to become a county employee, Haakenson points out a job description for a park ranger has been developed and he feels there are qualified people available to fill it.

Prior to developing a proposal for managing all the county parks, the Bismarck Park District had submitted an agreement to the water board for the management of McDowell in 2008. No action was taken by the water board, which knew the other agreement for all the county parks was in the works. The water board later approved the agreement which included all the county parks.

Water board chairman Ken Royse and board member Terry Fleck agreed they weren't quite sure what the management status of McDowell would be. Both were looking forward to hearing what Haakenson will propose at their next water district meeting.

Royse said he was surprised by the commission's decision to reject the parks management proposal.

Neu expects that should the county park board take over management of McDowell, there will need to be a transition period.

The agenda for the Dec. 20 meeting of the park board will include a report on the county's decision and discussion about the contracts with the water board and Missouri Valley Complex Authority.

"When I talked about it with Steve (Neu), we were considering the possibility of taking six months to transition to county management," Mark Zimmerman, president of the Bismarck Park Board, said. "I don't know if this is something the water board will consider or how this will all play out. It's my hope the park board will at least look at an extension on McDowell."

Management of the fairgrounds is another matter since it comes under the jurisdiction of the Missouri Valley Complex Authority. The authority represents the city of Bismarck, Burleigh County and the Bismarck Park District who have all committed $25,000 annually to management of the fairgrounds by the park district through 2008.

Neu indicated attempts are being made to have the authority hold a meeting in the near future to discuss the evolving situation.

"The fairgrounds will be open for discussion," Zimmerman said. "The complex authority is in place and that group should meet."

Zimmerman questions if the continued existence of the authority will be necessary if the county assumes control of property which it already owns.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@;bismarcktribune.com.)