Neighbors complain about Rotary Park tourneys
By Kay James, Dells Events
Five residents who live around Rotary Park complained to city officials Wednesday about parking around the park during ball games and the commercial tournaments now held there and agreed to a suggested solution.
Listening to the complaints and suggesting solutions were Police Chief Bret Anderson, Alderperson Debbie Kinder, chair of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Waterway Committee, Alderperson Ed Wojnicz, who represents the area on the council, and Parks and Recreation Director Thad Meister.
Brad Koenig of Race Street said people are parking on the lawn and in the alley blocking it. He said his two daughters could not ride their bikes on the street anymore because of the games. The area does not have sidewalks or curb and gutter.
John Marston, of Indiana Avenue, said when the ball field was built, neighborhood residents were promised it would only be for T-ball and Little League. Now there are baseball tournaments on weekends, Little League, T-ball, soccer and flag football. He called the result a nightmare with inconsiderate people who block cars in so residents cannot leave. He also said his truck had been dented twice by balls.
Anderson suggested that one side of Race and one side of Indiana be posted with signs saying no parking on game days. The alternative would be to post no parking signs and then residents could not park on the street 24 hours a day.
Kinder also suggested painting parking space lines on Indiana to regulate where people park and signs in the alleys that parking was for homeowners by permit only.
Anderson said the permits could then be issued free to residents at the police department.
Meister also said he would put information about parking into the brochures the Game Day group, which organizes the tournaments, gives to participants. He also said the first half of the parking lot is to be paved and a sign indicating parking. The entire parking lot will not be paved so the city can flood it for an ice skating rink.
So that residents would know when the game days are, Meister said he would post the schedules on the city’s Web site, www.citywd.govoffice2.com/
Marston also asked if the city could put up netting so foul balls and others would not go into the parking lot or street.
Meister said that could be done.
Martson said another problem is people picnicking on their yards and littering.
Anderson said if people were in their yards, the resident should ask them to leave. If the people did not leave, the resident should call the police and police would remove them.
A tournament director is also on site at the games wearing a uniform, Meister said, and residents having problems with spectators at the games should talk to him about problems they are having.
For problems with littering, Anderson suggested the residents get license numbers and report it to the police.
Marston also said young people who play football at the park in the evenings often swear and drink. “Can you do something about the language?”
Mary Biermeier and Tammy Kaszinski said, they sometimes see drug deals in the park.
“We try to patrol as much as we can,” Anderson said, but he noted that during the winter months the department might only have only two cars on patrol. “We rely on the community, the neighbors” to let the department know of such situations. For both the language and drug dealing, Anderson said call the police department.
Kinder presented the solutions to the parks, recreation and waterway committee after the meeting with residents and it approved the suggested solutions. The next step will be for the city’s legislative committee to write ordinances for the parking signs and permits. The signs should be up by spring, and she said the group would meet again in August to see how the solutions had worked.
Anderson also said he would send a memo to police officers alerting them to the changes and the issues raised by the residents.