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Commissioners and residents challenge staff after park bleachers were disassembled and sent to scrap
Summary
Commissioners and residents criticized staff for disassembling aluminum bleachers at city parks without clear notice or replacements, exposing gaps in the city's surplus‑property policy and asset records. The city manager acknowledged the decision was wrong and staff pledged to clarify policy and explore seating replacements quickly.
Residents and at least one commissioner said they were stunned to find older bleachers at several parks disassembled and piled as scrap, leaving parents and spectators without seating. "Those bleachers were ours," Commissioner (functional_label) said, noting photos and eyewitness accounts; the commissioner said the metal piles appeared warped and unusable for reassembly. Several residents described risks and asked whether a police report or insurance claim should have been filed if the items were lost or stolen.
City staff explained the city's surplus and asset tracking policy lacks clarity about older items that predate the current asset registry; the finance director told the commission the bleachers were not listed in the fixed‑asset system and that the policy’s thresholds and disposal procedures need clarification. The city manager said, "In retrospect, I think it was a wrong decision," and city staff committed to bringing a clarified surplus‑property policy to the commission and to evaluate immediate options for seating replacements. Commissioners directed staff to identify which bleachers can be salvaged, to provide cost estimates for replacement seating, and to tighten procurement and asset‑tracking procedures so future disposals follow clearer steps.
