A rash of vandalism at city parks has the Oconto Falls City Council ready to install security cameras to catch those who damage city property and deter others from trying.
The council on July 8 directed City Administrator Vicki Roberts to pull together quotes for a security system for the city’s parks. The quotes are scheduled to be reviewed by the council Aug. 19.
Street Superintendent Terry Magnin said the vandalism is never in the same place or of the same type. Vandals have damaged doors to the bathrooms, toilets and picnic tables, he said.
“This is probably one of the worst summers for picnic tables in the water,” Magnin said.
“What’s going on at our facilities is really not good,” Alderman Kevin Rusch said.
Roberts said the city is paying overtime for street department employees summoned in the middle of the night to address vandalism problems. The city also pays for repairs and parts, Rusch added.
Oconto Falls Police Sgt. Corey Rank said security cameras, especially those with night vision, could prove helpful, depending on how they are installed and how easily their data can be retrieved.
Last summer, the city reduced the hours its bathrooms were open because of vandalism. At the time, Mayor Brad Rice said it was increasingly costly to keep up with the repairs.
The East Side Beach bathrooms are open when lifeguards are on duty, from 1-7 p.m. daily, weather permitting. West Side Beach bathrooms are open from approximately 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Memorial Field and Pleasant View Park bathrooms are open when there is a scheduled event or during games for the city’s summer park program.
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