Town council addresses park bathroom issues
Published 2:41 pm Friday, October 18, 2013
At its meeting Oct. 14, the Maplesville Town Council received an update on the Maplesville Community Park from visitor Shawn Reed.
Reed, head of the Maplesville Pee Wee Athletics Board, oversees park operations and told council members he is having trouble with people kicking in the locked bathroom doors at the park after hours and vandalizing the bathrooms.
Streets Superintendent Kenny Barrett has helped clean the bathrooms and repair the doors after such incidents, but he said the recurring problem is becoming too much to keep track of with his other responsibilities.
“Every day, they’re open again,” Barrett said of the doors.
In addition, community members that have used the park for events have voiced complaints to Reed and the town about the bathrooms.
Reed suggested to the council Oct. 14 that a checklist be included on the park reservation form for people to fill out before and after they use the park and its facilities.
Also, Barrett suggested putting dead bolts on the bathroom doors instead of continuing to rely on the standard doorknob locks to help keep vandals out.
The council voted to install dead bolts on the doors at the town’s expense.
In August, the council approved a new park usage policy and fees.
Groups wanting to use the park must call Town Clerk Sheila Haigler at Maplesville Town Hall to reserve the park.
Haigler said the town did not receive a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant through the Recreation and Conservation Program for which it had applied this year. The town could apply for it again next year to try to secure funding for expansion of Maplesville Community Park.
Groups using the park with electricity are required to pay a non-refundable fee of $125 per night, and a $100 security deposit is required from those using the park without electricity to be returned if no damage occurs.
In other business, the council talked about reviewing the town’s peddlers’ license people can purchase for a day, week, month or year for door-to-door daytime solicitation.
The town received complaints recently from residents about vacuum sellers knocking on their doors after sunset and not leaving immediately after residents said they were not interested in purchasing anything.
For the fire department, Fire Chief Michael Drewry gave his report for the month of September, which included two applications, 13 calls, one fatality, one motor vehicle accident and three fires.
For the police department, Police Chief Todd Ingram said reserve officer Corey Phillips resigned to relocate to Georgia.
Regarding investigations, Ingram said the department made two arrests in conjunction with Barking Frog, a convenience store, being broken into several weeks ago.
Court Clerk Cindy Brown said September had 888 outstanding warrants and finished with 887 warrants and $200 from Safe Streets Act.
In other business, the council:
•Met in executive session on a pending legal matter for about 10 minutes.
•Voted to switch from DSL to UVerse Internet service with AT&T in order to save the town 25 percent on its bill each month.
•Approved upgrading programs on Town Clerk Sheila Haigler’s computer at town hall for $2,850.
•Reviewed upcoming dates: Maplesville’s Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 7; and the next council meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m., moved from Nov. 11 because of Veterans Day.