Last month, the DeWitt County Board surprised many by approving the sale of the Clinton Lake Marina to an outfit out of Sullivan.

Many viewed the Department of Natural Resources as the favorite to be the next owner of the marina but Board Chair Dan Matthews says DNR did not provide a very comprehensive proposal and he felt there were better proposals from others in the process.

According to Matthews, the Board last month set conditions for the sale of the marina.

Among those conditions is the first right of refusal should the new owner sell the marina in the first five years. Some have questioned that condition because it leaves open the possibility after five years, the owner could sell the property off and the marina would be shut down.

According to Matthews, the sale is going to take some time and there are still some things to iron out before it becomes official. He notes in the meantime, there is going to still be activity out at the marina as the upcoming boating season soon kicks into high gear.

For Matthews, having someone own the Marina is going to mean that group will have more skin in the game and he believes having the County out of the Marina business will allow more timely improvements and quicker decision-making. He felt the way the government operates slowed down progress at the marina.