INNISFAIL – Fed up with the ongoing rowdyism at Centennial Park town, council has directed administration to immediately move towards acquiring an entrance gate to shut out late night undesirable behaviour in the parking lot.
“Since the last week or the week before there were 50 people in the parking lot making a lot of noise,” said mayor Jean Barclay at council’s July 25th regular meeting. “I would say right now we need to start deciding what we're going to do. People in the parking lot are not using the park; they're using the parking lot.”
Following an intense discussion of just over 13 minutes, council passed a motion to direct administration to bring back the actual cost and scope of a gate for Centennial Park later this month.
Council was planning on dealing with the Centennial Park parking lot issue on Aug. 15, a month after administration brought information about the installation of a parking lot gate, which could cost the town up to $30,000.
The discussion was lengthy and the issue was tabled until Aug. 15 for administration to bring back more statistics on activity in the parking lot.
However, the ongoing rowdiness issues at Centennial Park were brought up again last week by Coun. Jason Heistad, who told council that a park-area resident called him to complain. Heistad has been a leading voice on council for most of this year about the park’s never-ending noise problems.
“We have people that live in that area that are really fed up, and council has to make a final decision to respect those citizens in that area,” said Heistad, who voiced to council it would be beneficial to get more data on the problem, particularly on the community policing side, which he added takes some time.
He also said more proactive work with the community can still be done through the work of the Policing & Safe Community Committee.
“I look at the policing committee as community citizens we can rely on as to where those pressure points are in our community, and where we as leaders, councillors, as well as administration, can make Innisfail safer,” said Heistad.
However, Barclay said she had the same citizen call as Heistad and reached out to another resident. The mayor added the noise problems are still continuing, with up to 50 people gathering and some “burning donuts” in the parking lot.
“I would say either party doesn't mind people being in the parking lot (but) it’s the disrespect that is going on for area residents,” said Barclay. “I think if you spoke to these two residents you can hear their frustration.
“I think it's impacting our lot sales down there because it's out in the community there's a lot of issues taking place in the parking lot overnight,” said Barclay, adding the rowdiness now includes some people driving out of the parking lot backwards to avoid park cameras picking up their license plates. “We need to find a solution somehow to this.”
Barclay noted council has previously been briefed with data. She added there has been many conversations on the longstanding issues at Centennial Park and wondered what else the town could do to solve the problem.
The mayor also said she’s hoping an education component might work but now has doubts as the problems continue.
Todd Becker, the town’s chief administrative officer, told council it was his belief that administration has delivered an adequate and significant amount of information over the past few years about the parking lot issues at Centennial Park.
“Specifics have been shared by manager (Gary) Leith, so it’s really in the realm of council on how you wish to proceed,” said Becker, noting there are options being pursued, such as an updated Parks Bylaw, enhanced enforcement and the gate.
Councillors Gavin Bates and Don Harrison both said the point has come where there’s no time to wait to have the gate installed.
“I can't think of anything else other than closing the park totally and we don't want to do that,” said Harrison, agreeing with Barclay that education probably would not work.
“I don't know how you educate somebody that doesn't want to be educated. They'll just find a way around it. So, let's not prolong the agony. Let's move on it (gate) fairly quickly.
However, Coun. Janice Wing warned that a gate for the parking lot could trigger new problems.
“From a planning perspective a gate is not going to change the behaviour,” said Wing. “It will just move the behaviour.”
