Commission schedules DNR follow-up on Hardy Lake needs and hears proposal to consider paying $178,000 museum debt

The Scott County Business Commission scheduled a follow-up with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and local Hardy Lake managers to determine the park's needs and to identify potential work beyond fish stocking, commissioners said on June 16.

A commissioner said he will meet with DNR representative Chris Smith along with Hardy Lake managers Jared Everett and Randy Julian to go over maintenance and programming needs. The commission noted Hardy Lake's draw — a speaker referenced figures saying the park had drawn hundreds of thousands of visitors in a year — and suggested park investments could have broad tourism impact.

During that discussion a commissioner raised a separate idea: exploring whether the commission could pay off the Scott County museum's roughly $178,000 USDA loan to free up the museum as a community resource. "Is there any likelihood of paying off the $178,000 debt that the ... museum has," the commissioner asked. Members discussed tourism-return comparisons (Hardy Lake visitation versus museum attendance) and agreed to think about the proposal before the next meeting; no motion or commitment to pay the debt was made.

Commissioners also received a brief transportation update: the City of Scottsburg will provide short-bus service, funded in part by grants and municipal revenue, and additional details are expected.