The Clymer City Council discussed reservations and rules for the city park as it noted increasing use. PJ photo by Sara Holthouse
CLYMER – After improvements to Clymer’s City Park in recent months, the city has seen increased use of the park during the summer, prompting the City Council to discuss the possibility of reservations and the installation of a sign outlining the park’s rules at its August meeting.
City Clerk Wendy Trisket said she has the park reservation calendar in her office, adding she and Assistant City Clerk Kathy Crowell found old park rules that they thought would be good for a sign in the park. She said some of the rules are old and may need to be changed.
One rule stated that the park could only be used by residents or taxpayers of the city. This led the board to have further discussions about reservations and wonder if one might have to be a resident or taxpayer to reserve the park.
Highway Superintendent Scott Trisket said the idea of reservations came about because of increased usage.
“We came across it during the Friday night movie show, someone just used it and was like ‘oh man, we have Friday night movies,'” Trisket said. “So, I think there should be a way, if it’s reserved, to somehow put a sign that says ‘Reserved.'”
The board also discussed charging a fee to reserve the park for people who are neither residents nor taxpayers. Another time, reservation problems arose on the day of the garage sale, said Councilman Brian Willink.
“They were also doing the Rails to Trails trail from Corry to Clymer that day and he wanted to use the park as a turnaround for bikers and hikers and put a water station there. I said ‘yeah, sure’ and they were able to set up in the pavilion without even thinking about someone having a garage sale there,” Willink said.
Trisket said since they aren’t used to it being used so much, now would be a good time to get a sign and make sure it says that a reservation is required by calling the town clerk. Willink said the sign could say something along the lines of the gazebo can be reserved by calling the town clerk.
Questions remain about the possibility of a fee for non-residents using the park, particularly the amount and how to determine if they are not residents. Willink suggested that more information would be needed as the season was coming to an end.
Other park rules Wendy Trisket discovered included: must be at least 21 years old to make inquiries, no alcohol, drugs or tobacco on the premises, the building must be left in the same condition it was found in, all decorations, trash and perishables must be removed, picnic tables may be loaned out if available and violation of these rules will result in restriction of park use.
Because the picnic tables in the park are new and were donated as part of an Eagle Scout project, City Council member Melissa Murphy suggested they no longer be loaned out.
“When someone goes to all the trouble of building our picnic tables for their project, it’s a little different than the old junk tables that were there,” Murphy said.
It was suggested that it would be fine if someone asked, but that availability should not be made public.
“I’m just worried that when you start lending the stuff out, it never comes back in the same condition as it was issued,” Willink said.
It was also suggested that a deposit be required if anyone wants to use the tables. Willink asked Wendy Trisket to put together an email with all the park rules so that everyone can look at the rules and come back to them next month or the month after, and as a project for the winter.
