HILLSBORO, Mo. — Jefferson County Department of Parks and Recreation employees struggle to maintain the county’s public parks because vandals continue to tear them up, said Tim Pigg, director of the department.
At the Sunridge Park in Hillsboro, for example, someone keeps tearing off the combined water fountain and bottle filling station attached to the restrooms.
Each time the department has to replace the fountain, that’s an unexpected cost of $2,500, Pigg said.
“Unfortunately, we’re not going to put one back there,” he said. “They ripped it off, we’ve put one back on; they’ve ripped it off, we’ve put it back up – about three times this year. I made the decision that we’re just not going to put it back up.”
The problem at Sunridge Park is just the start, Pigg said.
To save taxpayer’s dollars and lighten the workload for his employees, Pigg said the department is increasing surveillance at several county parks.
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