CONNEAUT LAKE — What the future holds for Conneaut Lake Park is anybody’s guess right now, but it’s a decision that could have a substantial impact on the community as the park’s failure to open fully for the 2007 season cut revenue for Conneaut Lake-area businesses by 30 to 50 percent and resulted in a loss of approximately 100 seasonal jobs.

Whether the park will open this summer — partially or completely — will depend on cash flow, according to Jack Moyers, chairman of the Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park.

“It’s no secret, we have a cash-flow problem,” he said. “We have no cash influx except for the customers paying water bills, and the dock rentals.”

In the meantime, the park still has debt in excess of $2.7 million, he noted.

In November, the board sought proposals to lease parts or all of the park, and now is waiting for a review of those proposals.

“The board elected to use a panel of three independent planners to review the proposals,” he said. Among the panel members is Crawford County Planner Jack Lynch, but Moyers declined to identify the other two. Once the planners complete their review, they will make a recommendation to the board.

Moyers said the Christmas holiday slowed the process, but he believes the reports will be done “in the near future. The board will then vote on the proposals.”

The proposals were solicited from anyone interested in leasing portions of the 116-year-old amusement park or the whole park. That includes such entities as the Beach Club, Hotel Conneaut, Dreamland Ballroom and midway concessions. He explained that the reason the proposals haven’t been made public is because “the negotiations are so tender, I don’t want to cloud the issues.”

“There are a couple interesting ones,” he said. “I just can’t do anything (publicly) with them until we tell whether others are accepted or rejected.”

The board also received more than one proposal after the Nov. 30 deadline, but those haven’t been opened, Moyers said.

The requests for proposals included cash payments to the trustees. Once any or all proposals are accepted, that cash may be used to allow the trustees to open parts of the park in addition to those mentioned in any lease plan.

The first two entities to be opened by the trustees would be Camperland, a recreational vehicle campground on Route 618 across from the Blue Streak, and the boat docks near the Beach Club, said Moyers. These two parcels generate additional income for the trustees.

If enough cash is received, the next thing to be opened will be the Beach Club — unless there is a separate lease proposal that would already open it. Hotel Conneaut’s opening is in doubt until an issue with the fire escape is resolved, said Moyers. He noted the building code inspector must give his approval to any changes made to the fire escape to make it safe for public use. With no money to make any changes, the hotel will remain closed — unless one of the proposals accepted is to lease the hotel and the proper upgrades are made.

Once the Beach Club is open, Moyers believes Dreamland Ballroom can follow quickly.

Moyers said the board plans to promote the park as a place for festivals. If that happens, the natural overflow from those activities could attract more visitors to Dreamland Ballroom.