HERNANDO, Miss. (AP) - The DeSoto Recreational District Commission will urge county supervisors on Monday to approve a list of safety improvements at five county parks, ranging from removal of rickety bleachers to eradication of fire ants.
The recommendations come after a risk assessment report was issued by a private contractor.
The commission suggests removing bleachers at Fairview and Robertson-Donald parks, because the aluminum tiers “not secured in the ground, broken seats, sharp edges” and other factors noted in the report. Each park has two sets of bleachers.
Larry Jarrett, parks and DeSoto Greenways director, tells The Commercial Appeal (https://bit.ly/1nRkSot ) he’ll bring up options for bleacher replacement at the commission’s next session, June 10. He estimated cost of five-tier bleachers at about $6,000 per set.
“We’ll want these bleachers to be ADA-compliant, so they may cost more,” said commissioner Ken Kirkpatrick, referring to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Commission chairwoman Peggy Linton said the commission is committed to having all facilities “fully compliant with ADA, but it won’t happen overnight.”
Other recommendations include repair of preschooler playground equipment at Robertson-Donald and updating a water fountain there to ADA standards. At Lake Cormorant, treatment is needed for fire ants. Removal of the old wooden scorekeeper post at Fairview is urged.
At Cockrum, removal of wood at flower beds is recommended to avoid trip-and-fall risks, and at Eudora, repairs are urged for older equipment as well as resurfacing. Jarrett said he’s also recommending resurfacing of the walking trail at Lake Cormorant, where roots present a tripping hazard. No recommendations were made for Hernando DeSoto Park on the Mississippi River.
The commission approved a parks maintenance policy, which attorney Tony Nowak said “is a good thing to have in case of any liability issues. The first question a plaintiff’s lawyer asks is, ’What are your policies on that? How often do you mow?’”
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Information from: The Commercial Appeal, https://www.commercialappeal.com
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