Jefferson County Department of Parks and Recreation employees struggle to maintain the county’s public parks because vandals continue to tear them up, said Tim Pigg, director of the department.
At the Sunridge Park in the Hillsboro area, for example, someone keeps tearing off the combined water fountain and bottle filling station attached to the restrooms, he said.
Each time the department has to replace the fountain, that’s an unexpected cost of $2,500, Pigg said.
“Unfortunately, we’re not going to put one back there,” he said. “They ripped it off, we’ve put one back on; they’ve ripped it off, we’ve put it back up – about three times this year. I made the decision that we’re just not going to put it back up.”
From now on, those looking to get a drink of water or fill their bottles will need to use the tap inside the park restrooms, he said.
The problem with the water fountain at Sunridge Park is just the start, Pigg said.
At Kimmswick Park, picnic tables were stolen several times this year, as were trash cans, baby-changing stations, toilet paper roll dispensers and hand sanitizer dispensers at various parks, he said.
Replacing items that are damaged or stolen at county parks costs about $10,000-$15,000 annually, Pigg said.
Last July, the restrooms at the Northwest Sports Complex in House Springs were destroyed when juveniles set off explosives in the building. That was a huge, unexpected expense for the department, he said.
“They blew up my restroom, which is costing me $300,000 to replace, so sometimes the cost is much higher (annually),” he said. “After a while, it feels silly to keep putting dollars into it when it just keeps getting ripped up. It’s a waste of the taxpayers’ money.”
Integra Inc. in St. Charles is building new restrooms at the Northwest Sports Complex for $344,700. The facilities are expected to be completed by late fall and will include three toilets for women and two urinals and a toilet for men in addition to storage space for the department.
What’s being done
To save taxpayer’s dollars and lighten the workload for his employees, Pigg said the department is increasing surveillance at several of the county’s parks. Flock cameras recently have been installed at the entrance to Rockford Park in House Springs, and additional cameras have been installed at Kimmswick Park.
The department has purchased new picnic tables for Kimmswick Park that are heavier and harder to lift, Pigg said.
During periods of heavy flooding, the picnic tables will have a lesser chance of floating away, Pigg said.
It took four department employees to position the new tables around the park, he said.
As vandals steal some of the county’s trash cans, the cans are replaced with heavier receptacles that are bolted to the ground, Pigg said.
He said anyone trying to steal the cans would have to destroy them first.
“It is some of the most nefarious things I’ve seen, how badly some people treat public items,” Pigg said. “I know it’s not most of the people, but there is a high level of people who do it.”
He said the parks are for people to use and enjoy, and they should be treated with respect.
“I’m happy people are coming to our parks and enjoying it; I just wish they (all) would enjoy it responsibly,” he said.