The Solvang City Council became new managers of the town's skate park, but didn't embrace the role with much enthusiasm, indicating they don't want to run, and pay for, the facility's operation indefinitely.

Mayor Ken Palmer motioned for the city to accept the Valley Youth Sports Foundation's request to end the lease the group has held since construction began on the park in 2004.

Palmer's motion, which passed 4-0, included the city assuming full operational responsibilities for the skate park, but only on an interim basis. Councilman Eugene Boyle was absent from the council meeting last week.

The Hans Christian Andersen Skate Board Park was built with community funds on city land, to be operated by the foundation under a $1 a year ground lease arrangement. At first, the park was maintained by volunteers in the skating community, but a high number of violations prompted the foundation to close the park over Memorial Day weekend this summer, and assume clean-up and closure responsibilities.

In a recent letter to the city, Dean Palius, a member of foundation board of directors, announced that the small group of volunteers were ill-prepared and unwilling to continue the daily closing of the park, citing occasionally verbally abusive, and on one occasion physically threatening, behavior from some skate park patrons when asked to leave.

The foundation's letter reads in part:

“The Board of Directors recognizes that the majority of youth and adults that utilize the park are respectful of the rules for its usage and of the volunteers responsible for park operations. However, there is a minority of users who refuse to follow the rules, especially regarding the use of required safety equipment and who can not seem to find garbage receptacles for their used food and drink containers.”

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The existing lease between the foundation and the city was to run until 2009.

City Manager Brad Vidro said that city employees already handle the opening of the park. The additional personnel to manage the closing and maintenance of the park could be handled using existing employees without increasing payroll.

“We're just not doing anything else for those 11 hours,” he said.

Instead of maintaining the current operation of the park, the council members seemed to be considering some changes. Councilman Jim Richardson asked if the Sheriff's Department could take over the closings. Vidro said the sheriff's deputies could easily be called elsewhere during the appropriate closing time of the park though.

Council member and Solvang Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Linda Jackson seemed especially concerned with keeping skaters in the controlled park, as opposed to skating downtown. She also referenced the sheriff's monthly report for August, that showed a spike of 16 safety violations from the skate park, typically for skaters failing to wear the required helmet, knee and elbow pads while skating, up from a 2007 average of less than three a month.

“I don't want it to be a total police state, but we need those protections there,” said Jackson.

“Initially it was not to cost the city any money. It is now,” said Palmer.

The mayor suggested skate park users could form some sort of club or association to help enforce rules and pay for its maintenance.

Both Solvang Planning Commission Stu Gildred and a local boy spoke before the council in support of maintaining the park. The boy, Tyler Olmstead said that while he had seen many rule violations, he did follow them and enjoys the park regularly. He even suggested a fee of some sort to use the park, to perhaps pay for supervision or clean up at the park site.

“I think it's really been a triumph for the community,” said Gildred about the park's impacts in spite of the violations.

Palmer however, expressed discontent at the number of problems the skate park had generated.

“There are other infractions the police need to be concerned with,” said Palmer, reminding the chamber that the city is allotted only one sheriff's squad car for routine patrol.

Skate park proponents could take at least some comfort from Councilman Edwin Skytt's comments, when he called closing the skate park “one of our least desirable options here.”

Without a specific timetable, city staff has been directed to return the issue to the city council in less than one year for reconsideration of the Skate Park's maintenance.

The Solvang City Council holds its regular meetings on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 7 p.m. at the city's municipal hall, 1644 Oak St.

The next regular meeting of the council will be Monday, Oct. 8. The City Council and staff can be reached at 688-5575, or via www.cityofsolvang.com.

September 30, 2007