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Parks chief seeks power to ban troublemakers

SALEM — City Parks Director Shane Franks is looking for a way to ban individuals from the parks if they repeatedly violate park rules or cause problems.

During his report to city council Tuesday night, he requested the Parks Committee of city council hold a meeting to discuss that topic, along with a request to auction off three parks department vehicles. No date has been firmed up, but Councilman Ron Zellers, who chairs the committee, said later that he was checking with his fellow committee members to schedule a meeting.

According to Franks, there’s nothing in the ordinances now giving him the power to ban someone, at least not that he knows about, and he would like a way to kick someone out for repeated incidents for a specific time period.

He said it would be no different than what private businesses do. A private business can have someone “criminally trespassed” from the property, meaning if the person is told they can’t come back and they do, the person can be charged criminally with trespassing.

“I just think that it would be another tool in the toolbox to keep order in our parks,” Franks said.

No particular incident sparked the idea, but there have been problems in the past with people getting out of hand. He wants to find out legally what he can and can’t do since the parks are public property.

Franks also announced that Salem City Lake, also known as the Salem Reservoir, on Gamble Road outside of the city, was now open for the season, noting that walleye are being restocked over a three-year period and this will be the first full year that canoes and kayaks are permitted on the water. A new porta-jon has been placed at the lake, too.

He thanked Utilities Superintendent Don Weingart and the utilities department, which is headed up by the Utilities Commission, for allowing the canoes and kayaks. He said safety and cleanliness are always going to be a top priority.

He also thanked the Salem Community Foundation for its help with funding and the city streets department personnel for its help.

mgreier@salemnews.net

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