Spring Is Here And It's Time To Open The Skate Park

An open letter to the residents of Point Pleasant, in particular my fellow council members:

This Tuesday, I will be introducing a management ordinance for the Municipal Skate Park to replace the “Board of Skate Park Commissioners” ordinance passed last fall. It is my belief that the special commission approach to managing the park, while well-intentioned, is impractical. There are already bodies in place to address concerns with the park’s facilities and deal with users that do not respect the rules and regulations. It is unfortunate that problems with a handful of teenagers have escalated to this point, but it is entirely unreasonable to expect a group of “deputized” neighbors to enforce the rules upon children who have a well-documented history of disrespect, if not outright contempt, for members of our Police, Public Works and Recreation Departments. This is an invitation to even more trouble when people who are not trained in conflict management, as our officers are, are expected to intervene in what may be a tense situation between several parties.

I have spent some time researching this issue and looking to other towns that have overcome similar difficulties. I have also had great input from our Recreation, Public Works, and Police Departments, as they are the ones who will bear, and have borne, the responsibility of park management. I can say that this plan for a provisional opening with limited hours, and a policy of strict enforcement of the rules and penalties, has the full support of these departments. It is my contention that the best way to deal with those that choose to abuse their access to the park is to make doing so, from this point on, an inconvenient and expensive attitude. I’m proposing hours on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sundays until it’s demonstrated that the atmosphere has changed. I will also be in search of grants or other funding to purchase the camera system that will transmit to Police headquarters as well as the Recreation Department’s website’s skate park page where parents or any resident will be able to monitor the park at any time. It will not be long until the park can be returned to full operating hours and this yearlong ordeal is a grey memory.

I hope this matter will not be like some that have come down to a split vote. Because of my involvement and commitment to this cause, and my complete faith in this as the simplest and most practical solution, I implore my fellow council members to please, at the very least, move this ordinance past the introduction and take the next three weeks to consider the matter and confer with all the involved parties. When the final vote comes, I will beg you that we not be remembered as the council that let a milestone of our community disappear, because we couldn’t figure out how to curb a half-dozen 15 and 16 year-olds instead of preserving it for the scores of children that use the park without incident.