Chestermere City Council directed city administration to review lighting at local parks to address safety concerns for park users during the July 26 special meeting of council.
City staffers will conduct a review of lights at various parks throughout Chestermere and bring the results back to council for consideration during the 2023 budget deliberations.
“There are some safety concerns not having lights at the parks. Possible having drug paraphernalia that’s left in the parks, then kids come to the parks in the mornings, and it creates a challenge,” Mayor Jeff Colvin said. “One of the comments was to have lights at the parks, so there’s less opportunity for people to hang out at these parks that aren’t there for the reason of recreation.”
Adding lighting to parks would also ensure that families can use the parks in the winter months for longer.
“In winter months we have very short daylight hours, the people that are using the parks for the right reasons, it allows them the ability to actually do that with their family a little bit later,” City Councillor Blaine Funk said. “Typically, people not doing the right thing don’t like to be in lighted areas.”
Funk added that he would also like to have lighting added to some pathways in the community.
City administration will evaluate adding lighting to the parks and pathways, review the most economical option, and other options in the community where there is existing lighting, and report back to council for consideration.
