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Parents urge fixes to park lighting; city parks staff say repairs are underway
Summary
Parents and coaches told the Hialeah City Council that malfunctioning or missing lighting at multiple youth baseball fields is causing canceled practices and safety hazards. Parks officials said several lighting projects are complete, Bright Park and Kasus Park are priorities and staff are exploring budget and state funding options.
Parents asked the Hialeah City Council on March 10 to prioritize repairs to field lighting and maintenance to protect evening practices and youth safety.
Two written comments were read into the record expressing ongoing problems with inconsistent lights, parks lacking any lighting, and fields being turned over to teams in a condition unsuitable for play. The messages said families were forced to move weekly between parks and that limited visibility increases risk of injury.
Willie Sanchez, parks and community engagement, responded that crews have replaced major fixtures in several parks and that additional lighting repairs are on the council agenda. "We replaced already four major projects...Bright Park would be first and foremost because we understand this concern," Sanchez said. The deputy director confirmed an electrical issue had been identified at some sites and said staff met with residents and coaches to outline a plan of corrective work.
Council members asked staff to inventory remaining parks that need upgrades and explore budget appropriations or state funding to accelerate LED replacements during the current budget season. Parks staff also said they are running a multi‑year program to address about 15 years of deferred maintenance inherited from prior administrations.
Action and next steps: staff said the repairs identified will be addressed in the consent or capital agenda; Bright Park and Kasus Park were singled out for immediate attention. Council asked parks staff to report back with a list of remaining parks needing lighting upgrades and possible funding strategies for the coming fiscal year.
Key quotes: "Proper lighting is not a luxury. It is a basic safety requirement...Our children deserve safe, properly maintained, adequately lit, and consistently available facilities." — excerpt of written comment read into record "We're committed to make our parks the best...we've upgraded a lot of the systems that required those upgrades." — Willie Sanchez, parks and community engagement
Provenance: public written comments read into the record (SEG 315–441); parks staff response and discussion (SEG 466–556).
