Staff writer
During reports from standing committees Monday night at the Peabody City Council meeting, Tom Schmidt of the Park and Swimming Pool committee made a recommendation to dismantle the playground equipment at Westbrook Park. The park is on Elm Street just south of the elementary school parking lot.
“When we had our spring walk-through with Partners of Peabody Parks and Darren Pickens to review summer plans for the parks, we looked at the equipment at Westbrook Park and noted the deteriorated condition,” Schmidt said. “Since then, the park has been vandalized again which hasn’t helped any.
“The wooden structures are rotting; they have outlived their usefulness and need to be removed. Neither the city, nor the POPPs group has funds available to replace the playground equipment,” he added.
“Perhaps a couple of clubs or a group of people interested in saving it could do the fundraising necessary to purchase new equipment. In the meantime, what is there presents a hazard and it needs to be removed before someone gets hurt.”
The council approved the recommendation.
In other business:
- Sheri Lewis was appointed to represent the city of Peabody for a four-year term on the Peabody-Burns Recreation Commission.
- The council approved a $100 credit to Marvin Schmidt for sewer charges in connection with a water leak at his residence. Charges for water billed to Schmidt because of the leak will not be dismissed.
- In a report from Public Works Director Darren Pickens, the council was warned that the laterals to the park septic system may have to be replaced in the near future. Pickens said he’d had a septic service clean out the tank twice already this summer.
- City Administrator Mac Manning said city employees will enroll in the State Health Insurance plan at an Aug. 10 meeting. They will be enrolled as of Oct.. 1, 2011.
- The council approved payment of a $1600 expenditure to Davis Preservation for research applicable to design guidelines and the preparation of a draft of the guidelines for the planning and zoning committee. The funds will be allocated from the planning and zoning budget.
- Approval for the use of six barricades on Aug. 21 by the Peabody Methodist Church was granted.
- Manning informed the council that his computer crashed Monday morning and he would need to purchase a new one. He was able to save all of his files and information.
The next council meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 8 in the council room of the city building.