THE 90 CAMPGROUND sites at Lake Antoine Park will be closed until further notice, although the park remains open for day use. Portable restrooms will be available while the county plans a project to replace broken water lines. (Brian Christensen/Daily News photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — Work continues to restore water service at the Lake Antoine campground, but Dickinson County has abandoned any plans to reopen the facility this summer.

“It will be done for spring,” Controller Brian Bousley said during a county board meeting Monday, adding a decision has to be made whether it’s practical to uncap an exploratory well drilled in 1999 and develop that site as the park’s main water source.

The immediate goal is having the campground in safe condition for the Sept. 11 Crafty Flea Market that serves as a fundraiser for Lake Antoine Park Partners and Newspapers in Education, Commissioner Barbara Kramer said.

After pipes were found broken this spring, the county closed the campground until further notice. The park itself has stayed open for day use, including swimming and pavilion rentals, and has been busy throughout the summer, Commissioner Joe Stevens said.

D & L Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning of Iron Mountain was hired May 27 to install new 2-inch supply pipe and risers for individual campsites at a cost of $16,938. That project has had several delays, including problems getting supplies and installing the right fittings, Commissioner John Degenaer Jr. said.

If the alternative well is tapped, the estimated cost for a pumphouse and 700 feet of connecting lines to the campground and bathhouse is $150,000. Another option is rehabbing the existing well and pumphouse and replacing the feeder line under Lake Antoine Road for roughly $170,000.

The line from the current pumphouse, which is near an artesian spring, is 4-inch pipe laid more than 50 years ago. Both Coleman Engineering Co. and Kleiman Pump & Well Drilling of Iron Mountain are involved in studying a new water source. Their work has also been slowed by a busy construction season.

In other action, the county board:

— Adopted a contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation that will provide $992,778 in federal grant monies for a pair of Ford Airport projects. With no local match required, $737,878 will enable acquisition of an aircraft rescue and firefighting truck, and $254,900 will go toward buying a 40-acre parcel along Wagner Drive west of the airport. The land acquisition cost includes $125,000 for a survey, environmental site assessment and legal appraisal fees. A portion of the vacant and partially wooded property is within the runway protection zone, which made it desirable for purchase when it recently went up for sale.

— Approved a six-year lease with Vanderloop Equipment of Lena, Wis., for a Fendt Model 714S4 tractor to be used at the airport. Total payments over the lease period will be $238,259, including a financing cost of $28,667.

— Accepted a request from Airport Manager Tim Howen to conduct a wage study for airport employees. Expenses also were approved for Howen to attend the Michigan Association of Airport Executives conference in Thompson from Sept. 13-17.

— Learned from Bousley that year-to-date passenger boardings at the airport through June totaled 5,696, including 1,413 in June.

— Amended the investment policy of the Dickinson County Retiree Healthcare Fund Trust to lower the cash-on-hand minimum to 1% of the total fund amount. The former minimum was 5%. “This allows us to get a little more cash to make it work for us,” Kramer said. The fund is served by First Bank Investment Management Group. The county’s policy allows maximum asset allocations of 30% cash, 70% equities and 70% bonds.

— Approved a $3,000 allocation to the Dickinson County Land Bank Authority to assist with ongoing costs. The authority’s mission is to work collaboratively with local governmental units and community organizations in determining the best way to return tax-foreclosed properties to the tax roll, while eliminating blight and encouraging development.

— Approved a request from District Judge Julie LaCost to fill a vacancy in the district court office for a full-time department assistant.