St. Joseph Committee To Restore Our Parks

PARKS PROTECTION PARTNERSHIP – PUBLIC FORUM UPDATE

We have held 3 public forums for people to come and discuss ideas for protecting our parks from vandalism, and I am really proud of the ideas that came from those forums! Thank you to all who participated in the discussions and contributed your ideas, asked questions and helped us brainstorm solutions. These ideas will now be considered, explored and evaluated to see if and how they can be incorporated into the future of the parks system. The feasibility of these ideas depends on the cost and availability of manpower and materials, which has yet to be determined.

The meetings began with an update on the sales tax projects as well as the importance of protecting the investment we are making. A partnership between the Parks Dept. and the community is necessary to make this possible.

WHAT THE CITY CAN DO

An electronic gate at Krug Park that can be opened and closed remotely

Building anti-vandalism protections into any new construction
Institutional fixtures in bathrooms that are difficult to vandalize
Specialized locks that are difficult to break, more secure

Added lights and cameras to at-risk locations

Drone surveillance

Signage warning that this area is being photographed/patrolled

Park Rangers on duty to randomly patrol parks at night

City support for an anti-litter campaign

Work with schools to educate about park history, pride, responsibility

Host public events that give outlets to our youth in a positive way

Of course, city employees can’t be everywhere at all times, so there are ways the people in our community can make a great impact on reducing these problems. The parks belong to all of us, and all of us can join forces to protect them.

WHAT THE COMMUNITY CAN DO

Utilize the P3TIPS app on our phones to report problems in real time

Form ‘neighborhood watch’ groups for local parks in your area

Periodically drive through your park to check on it

Gather friends to the “Adopt-A-Park” program through the Parks Dept.

Join the Parks Ambassador Program (details to follow)

Pick up litter while in your parks, don’t throw litter on the ground

Volunteer with local service groups for upkeep and cleanup projects

We realize that not everyone can physically do volunteer work such as painting or cleaning, but everyone can contribute to keeping an eye on the park nearest you. Everyone can pick up a little trash and put it in a trash can. Everyone can report problems they see, and everyone can make a difference. The more eyes we have on these parks, the more we report what we see, the less likely vandals will feel safe doing damage.

There is no single solution, no one thing that will stop vandalism completely. However, if we do 20 small things together as a community, we can reduce the problem and make a positive impact. Every little thing we do to make it harder to damage our parks can lead to a noticeable improvement for all of us.

We hope you will join us to help make a difference. We can do this together.

PARKS TAX PASSES!!

From all of us on the Citizen's Committee, we want to send out a huge THANK YOU to all the people who came out to the polls to vote YES for the Parks Tax initiative!! You made a difference today and our Parks Dept. is very grateful for your resounding show of support! Now we can begin to rebuild a vital part of our beautiful city and bring it back to life! This is a game-changer! THANK YOU ST. JOE!!!

GET OUT AND VOTE YES TODAY!!!!

We vote TODAY! Before you head to the polls, be sure to click here to see where your voting location is! If you’ve moved it may have changed. Polls are open until 7:00PM!

https://www.co.buchanan.mo.us/157/County-Clerk

TODAY!

Vote YES for parks!

County Clerk | Buchanan County, MO - Official Website Find information on the Buchanan County clerk.