Cobourg’s youth should not bear consequences of poor maintenance
Cobourg’s youth should not have to go without a skateboard park because of poor planning and maintenance by town staff says the Cobourg Taxpayers Association (CTA).
“Our youth deserve better than to be permanently locked out of their current skateboard park and told to wait years for a new one to be built”, said CTA President Lydia Smith.
Smith said that skateboarding is one of our youth’s favorite enjoyments and to close the park days after passing a bylaw prohibiting skateboarding on Town streets is insensitive to their needs.
According to one skateboarder interviewed by a CTA supporter, “The ramps have been this way for at least 5 years. Why have they become ‘unsafe’ all of a sudden?”
According to Parks Manager Teresa Behan, each of Cobourg’s parks is inspected monthly by a certified playground inspector. If the deteriorating situation has been known for years, why was corrective action not taken in time to avoid decommissioning the existing facility with no alternative in place?
Smith said that this is an example of how important community needs get overlooked until it is impossible to ignore the problem any longer.
The CTA urges Council to find a way to make the necessary repairs now and not to abandon our youth.
If the solution requires diverting funds from new projects approved in the 2016 Budget, then please do so without further delay. Budgeting priorities should be focused on maintaining and supporting our current assets and not on new discretionary spending projects.
“A year and a half, likely even longer, is an eternity for youth. Their energy will need some outlet and they should not suffer the consequences of poor maintenance and scheduling by the Town”, said Smith.
Smith called on Town residents to support the skateboarders by contacting Council.