March 11, 2021 By Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com Discussions about managing the park and boat launch will be taking place between the City of Howell and the Howell Area Parks & Recreation Authority over the next couple of weeks. The City contracts with the Authority to run Scofield Park and the Thompson Lake boat launch for around $45,000. The Authority is responsible for manning the guard booth and handles pavilion rentals, which goes on year-round. It also manages the distribution of annual park passes for City residents and other participating municipalities that include Marion, Howell, Oceola, and Genoa Townships. The City is facing significant budget challenges and has been looking at different ways to save money. Following earlier budget work sessions, Council gave City Manager Paul DeBuff direction to look into having the City take over management duties in-house for a rough savings of around $25,000. It costs the City around $160,000 for maintenance of assets such as the beach, boat launch, pavilions mowing, and the park in general.