By Holly Gaskill
In a brief portion of their monthly meeting, the Bluffton Parks Board discussed safety across their parks.
Board member Susan Campbell brought the item to the discussion following a recent incident where, according to a police report, a group of juveniles reportedly attacked another juvenile. Campbell said she read about the incident in The News-Banner police notebook and immediately wondered about the impression it gave of the parks.
“When I was raising kids, I read everything in the police notebook, and I worry how that looks,” Campbell said.
Parks Department Superintendent Brandy Fiechter said the situation was handled swiftly by the Bluffton Police Department, who ultimately put the juveniles involved on probation.
Fiechter also noted that the department’s due process for juvenile issues had never resulted in a repeat offender. Currently, juveniles come with a guardian before the park board to discuss what happened, apologize, and receive a verdict regarding how much longer they have to remain out of the parks, which varies dependent on the infraction.
Other updates were:
• The department recently sent an employee to receive training regarding chemical treatments, and another will soon attend training to become a certified playground safety inspector.
• Maintenance will soon take place on the Interurban Trail, sealing some cracks and refreshing the painted lines.
• A group of teens will volunteer throughout the summer to maintain the parks.
• Several changes were made to the department’s summer staff due to schedule conflicts and changes in plans.
• The board approved USA Prime Midwest to use Wilson Field one day a week for travel baseball this summer. Bluffton High School was also granted permission to use the tennis courts on Monday and Wednesday mornings in June and July.
• To celebrate Arbor Day, Outdoor Concepts will donate a tree to honor veterans. The board also accepted a $250 donation from Perry and Stephanie Gerber for the Kehoe concert series and $250 from TTG Equipment.
• The board’s next meeting will be 6:30 p.m. on May 4 at the City Building.
holly@news-banner.com
