Replacement of some of the playground surface at Rotary Park and the amount of activity, which takes places after dark there, were two of the topics of conversation during Monday’s regular Corbin City Commission meeting.
Corbin Parks and Recreation Director Jacob Roan noted the rubberized surface under the playground equipment needs replaced in at least two areas, but the cost of replacing it with another rubberized surface is too expensive.
Roan showed commissioners samples of four synthetic grass surfaces, which ranged in quality and price.
Roan noted the highest quality synthetic grass has a price tag like the rubberized surface, but the cheaper of the synthetic samples is in the city’s price range for the project and would not require going through the bid process.
The life expectancy of the synthetic grass surfaces is approximately 20 years while it is approximately 8-10 years for the rubberized surface, Roan said.
The city took no action Monday regarding the resurfacing.
Roan added since the city installed security cameras in May, he and/or Information Technology Manager Josh Hunt have looked at the footage nearly daily for the times ranging from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
“On the weekends, you can find some decent entertainment from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m.,” Roan told the commission. “There are people in that park, and I am not talking a handful. I am talking dozens of people in and out of the bathrooms trying break open the doors we have just put in.”
Roan said most of the community takes care of the park system, but there are a few “bad seeds.”
“We are working with the Corbin Police Department to report those when we have them. There is a lot more going on under the darkness of night than what we realize,” Roan said.
Corbin City Manager Scott Williamson added the Corbin Police Department has arrested a few people at the parks for vandalism.
Roan defended his park and recreation staff for their work in the park.
“It is cleaner than it has been in a long time. They are doing a great job increasing their amount of work in that park,” he said. “We are doing everything in that park we can to take care of it.”
Williams said he drives by the parks on a nearly daily basis and agrees staff has made “vast improvements.”
