Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Recreation Parks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents renew calls for Waxahachie skate park at council meeting
Summary
Residents and community organizers urged the Waxahachie City Council to pursue a public skate park, citing petitions, participation data and safety benefits; several residents also introduced themselves for board service.
Several Waxahachie residents used the city’s public-comment period Monday to urge the City Council to pursue a public skate park and to introduce themselves for possible board appointments. The comments, made during the May 5 council meeting, combined pleas for a permanent skate facility with data and personal accounts advocating the project.
"We gathered over 1,300 signatures of people in the general area. Over half of those were Waxahachie residents," said Dominic, speaking for the Waxahachie Skatepark Initiative, citing the group’s petition. He added that action sports participation nationally includes skateboarders, BMX riders, scooter and inline skaters and approximated that about 15,000,000 Americans participate in those activities.
Alex Freeman, a Waxahachie resident and local business owner who said he applied last fall to serve on a city board, introduced himself and said he would be willing to serve. Alex Loma, another resident and Odd Fellows member, also spoke in support of a skate park and encouraged council members to promote business activity that keeps local spending in Waxahachie.
Speakers argued the city already has a demonstrated local and regional interest and said a skate park could be an inclusive, low-cost recreation option and draw visitors from surrounding towns. Dominic noted perceived safety and liability concerns are commonly raised about skate parks and said those concerns can be overstated; he offered studies and police-department examples from other jurisdictions to illustrate his point.
Council members did not take formal action on the skate-park statements during the meeting. Several council members thanked speakers for attending and encouraged continued participation in city boards and committees.
The public-comment portion of the meeting is governed by the Texas Open Meetings Act and council members do not normally deliberate during that segment, per the mayor’s opening instructions.
The council moved on to its scheduled agenda after public comment ended.
