According to a press release from the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation, working with the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, a new request for proposals for restaurants at five state parks has been issued.
OTRD Executive Director Amy Blackburn said, “This new RFP structure is designed to be mutually beneficial to the restaurant operator and our state parks.”
In a departure from previous requests, parks can bid on separately. The bidders are not required to operate the restaurant(s) full service year-round, and all types of eateries are welcome to bid. The department is also open to flexibility in the revenue sharing model.
The parks included in the request are Beavers Bend, Lake Murray, Quartz Mountain, Robbers Cave and Blaine County’s own Roman Nose State Park. Sequoyah State Park is not part of the request for proposals as that site is still under reconstruction.
Mandatory site visits begin February 18 and proposals are due by 3 p.m. March 23. To register, go to the OMES Supplier and Payee Training page at https://oklahoma.gov/om es/divisions/central-purchasing/ suppliers- andpayees/ supplier- andpayee- training.html. In other news on Roman Nose State Park, the department reports that the work on the embankment at Boecher Lake at Roman Nose State Park is being undertaken in two parts, design and construction.
There had been a period of assessment, the department said, including meeting with engineers and construction professionals to help determine what the next steps should be.
Right now, the department is in the design portion of the project. It will include survey of the damage, environmental permitting, production of an updated design and an application to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.
The timeline for design is 165 days minimum, or about five and a half months. After that, repairs to the bank can begin and is expected to take about a month.
The lake has traditionally been the location for the Friends of Roman Nose annual trout derby. However, even though beavers --the best engineers on the planet --have plugged the leak and the lake is now holding some water, the trout derby is still a no-go this year. Instead, the group has planned a Spring Fling event.
Billed as a free family day, it will take place from 9 a.m. – noon on Saturday, March 14 at the pool area. It will feature sponsor booths, games and prizes, kids’ activities and giveaways. Anyone over the age of 18 is eligible to purchase chances to win a grand prize of $1,000. Tickets are $20 each and available from any Friends member. You do not have to be present to win.