The Lake Hopatcong Commission is proposing an unorthodox solution to get the funding it needs to clean up the lake for the summer season.

The mayor of Mount Arlington and the president of the commission want the state to sell the lake to a private entity. The commission says it needs $500,000 to clean up the lake, and the state can?t provide that amount. Commission officials feel that if the state can?t afford to clean up the lake, then it should be privatized so someone else can take care of it.

The commission fears that if the lake is not cleaned up, it could be a bad summer season and local businesses will suffer. The Department of Environmental Protection, which oversees the lake, is looking at various options. However, selling the lake is not one of them.

Related Information:Funding drought puts Lake Hopatcong's summer season in jeopardy