It’s just gotten to be too much, it seems. At some point the liability begins to outweigh the common good. That’s where it seems North Park is at. Since the recent vandalism that took place in its public restroom, that tipping point between trust and ‘we’ve just had enough’, seems to have just about been reached.
For the third straight Clarkfield City Council meeting in a row, the vandalism at North Park was brought up as the council and the Clarkfield Police Department wrestle with possible remedies to the damage inflicted by the ignorance of just a few.
The council has discussed locking the restroom facility (adjacent to the picnic shelter) in the night time hours. Yet, the availability of the park’s restrooms is believed to be a great public convenience.
“It’s a real shame,” said Police Chief Ian Hodge. “Because (those facilities) are used a lot more than people expect; they’re used by people who are at the softball field, by people who camp there and by people who just bring their families out to the park for the day. I don’t want to start locking them up, because then not all those people can utilize them.”
At last week’s city council meeting, Public Works director Jeff Lobdell estimated the cost of repairing the damage done by vandalism at the park to be roughly $1,000. The damage inflicted by the most recent act of ignorance included a towel rack broken away from the wall, shattered mirrors and several steel doors which appear to have been kicked in.
“Since I’ve been here (2005), we’ve always had minor incidents out there, whether it’s been vandalism or filling up the toilets or writing things on the walls. We’ve never had a year where there hasn’t been some of that, but now it’s getting to the point where it’s getting to be a serious amount of dollars in property damage. Jeff was probably right on the money when he said it would cost $1,000 to repair it this time. That’s something we can’t have happen,” said Hodge.
While Hodge is pursuing those responsible, he is also working with the council to alleviate the problem in the future.
Anybody with information regarding this crime, or any other, is urged to contact the Clarkfield Police Department. Your identity may remain confidential.
