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Recovery Day organizers told inflatables won’t be allowed on commons; dunking booth history cited as liability
Summary
Vanessa Phillips of RISE Peer Recovery received park approval for the Recovery Day date but the board declined to allow inflatables or dunking-booth attractions on commons/open park areas because of liability history; staff suggested renting commons/building as an alternative.
Vanessa Phillips, director of forensic services for RISE Peer Recovery, asked the parks board to allow inflatables and a dunking booth for Recovery Day at Eastside Park on Sept. 13. Phillips said the event is free, family-friendly and that organizers would use waivers, wristbands and more than 30 volunteers to manage activities.
Board members raised safety and liability issues. A board member recounted a prior incident in the late 1990s in which a dunking booth projectile injured a bystander and resulted in several thousand dollars in claims; the board told the presenters that the city has historically disallowed similar attractions for liability reasons. Phillips said vendors and organizers could provide insurance and that they would rope off the area and require wristbands and waivers.
A motion to approve inflatables failed for lack of a second; the transcript records that the motion died and that inflatables will not be permitted on commons/open park spaces at this time. The board suggested alternatives: renting the commons building or community room where equipment can be shielded, or arranging vendor-supplied, insured activities inside rented facilities. The board left Recovery Day approved as an event date but with limitations on certain attractions pending insurance and staff approvals.
