Vandalism at Columbia Falls city parks is proving costly to taxpayers

Hungry Horse News

Broken slide. Graffiti on the walls. Busted up signs.

Columbia Falls city parks have taken a beating by vandals this year and the city is asking neighbors to keep an eye out for suspicious activity.

“I’m distraught over the vandalism in our parks,” city councilwoman Jenny Lovering said recently.

The damage earlier this year at Red Bridge Park was so bad that it reached felony status, city manager Susan Nicosia said.

At Marantette Park, the slide is currently closed because someone broke it.

Lovering noted vandalism is not only expensive, it ruins the experiences for children who want to play on the equipment.

City police make regular patrols and they’ve also started using trail cameras to try to catch vandals.

City parks close at 10 p.m. All of the parks have seen some sort of vandalism this summer.

The city is also working on installing motion-detector lights, that turn on if someone walks through them.

But it’s also asking people to help — if you see someone in a city park after 10 p.m. or suspicious circumstances, call 911 and report it, city leaders urge.

On a far more positive note, the first coats of surfacing on the pickleball courts at Columbus Park was going down earlier this week by contractor Triton Construction. The courts were a top priority for the city this year and supported by a private donation of $25,000 toward the project.

In addition, Pedro’s Properties Excavation donated equipment and labor toward a new sand volleyball court.

Mayor Don Barnhart noted that the donation lowered the cost of the courts by about $10,000.

Barnhart works for the company.