Thetford — Residents who frequent Treasure Island every summer would like to see many improvements at the town-owned property, which serves as the only public access to Lake Fairlee.

They want better programs for children, repaired facilities and more handicap-accessible parking. But more importantly, people simply want to be sure Treasure Island will continue to exist.

“I would be very concerned to think that Treasure Island might go away,” Thetford resident Patricia Smith told a meeting on Sunday evening attended by about 20 people.

“For most people, I think the overarching concern is that we keep this as a public resource. It’s an amazing place,” she said.

Treasure Island has been in a period of decline for years, according to Friends of Treasure Island, a community group that organized Sunday’s forum.

The O’Hearn family, longtime caretakers of the park, were asked to leave in May 2015 because the town couldn’t afford to repair the caretaker’s house. Other structures also fell into disrepair and the park’s summer camp has been discontinued.

Thetford hired a manager for the park after the O’Hearns departed, but the quality of care slipped this past summer, said Andrea Herrington, of Vershire.

“I’ve heard feedback from many that it was missed,” she said, relaying stories of holes not being filled and other maintenance going undone.

Dale Gephart, of Post Mills, said he worked two summers at the camp, which provided an inexpensive place for children to go during their break from school.

“We trained about 15 teenagers, and gave them jobs and they learned a lot of people skills being counselors,” he said. “I really regret the loss of that summer camp.”

People shouldn’t solely focus on what was lost in past years, but what the park can still be, said Alexis Jetter, a member of the friends group who asked people to brainstorm possible uses for the park and its future.

Some said they would like to see the camp come back in partnership with Thetford Academy, while others called for an environmental center in the caretaker building.

People also want to see kayak classes, adult swimming and nature trails at the park.

“It’s a business. It is a town business,” said Pat Dixon, who said Treasure Island should be marketed to the entire Upper Valley.

He said Thetford should work harder to promote the park and offer passes at discounted rates during certain times of year. Groups like the Boy Scouts should also be invited onto the property for events and community service projects.

“I feel like Treasure Island could be an amazing venue to rent for weddings,” said Smith, who said events could help defer the costs for other projects.

Money was on the mind of many people at the forum who recognized the town will be unlikely to shell out more for Treasure Island. Town Clerk Tracy Borst said tax bills were just due, and people weren’t happy to see them.

“What I heard over and over and over is ‘I can’t pay more taxes,’ ” she said.

Forming a nonprofit that collects donations and oversees the park could solve some of those concerns, said David Roth, a member of the friends group.

“It is possible that we could create a structure that could be of service to the Selectboard, of service to Treasure Island, of service to the community,” he said.

Gephart also recommended funding projects through the Ompompanoosuc Community Trust, of which he is a board member and already works to fund similar projects in Thetford.

Regardless of which funding model supporters choose, they want money for Treasure Island spent by entities other than the town. Three members of the Selectboard attended the forum and the friends group is scheduled to meet with town officials early next month, but distrust exists between the two groups.

“I am not willing to put my effort into a 501(c)3 and then just give my money to the Selectboard and they decide how to spend it,” said Jetter, of the friends group. “I don’t feel that its right that a community resource… should be totally at the whim of people who don’t want it.”

While Selectboard members attended the forum, they decided against speaking about Treasure Island. A quorum of the group was present and they didn’t want to risk violating Vermont’s Open Meeting Law, said Chairman Stuart Rogers.

The Selectboard is scheduled to discuss Treasure Island with the friends group at 7 p.m. on Nov. 7 at the Thetford Town Hall.

Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.