Skaters suggest solutions to skate-park problems

Kalispell will study setting up a foundation of skateboarding kids, parents and officials to improve the atmosphere at the Woodland Skate Park.

The city government also will look at the desirability of relaxing the helmet law for skateboarders older than 18, cordoning off part of the adjacent parking lot as a "warm-up" area for skateboarders waiting to use the bowl, and some other measures.

About 75 people - mostly young and male - discussed the increasing problems at the skateboard park with Kalispell's City Council Monday at a workshop session, during which no votes were legally allowed.

Those problems include vandalism, harassment, drugs, drinking and fights.

Kalispell police statistics show that:

. Skateboarders tallied nine citations in 2004, while non-skateboarders received 60 in Woodland Park. That increased to eight and 76 in 2006, 11 and 98 in 2007, and 11 skateboarders and 34 non-skateboarders so far in 2008.

. Police-related Woodland Park incidents rose from 250 in 2003 to 417 in 2007 - with 268 so far in 2008.

Twenty-nine people - mostly small boys, young men and parents - spoke to the council Monday.

Speakers included representatives from Kalispell's four skateboarding businesses - Spirit Skate Shop, Wheaton's, Serious JuJu Skateworks and Blacktop Surf Shop.

"Ninety percent of the problems are not from skateboarders, but from people in the skateboard area," said Mark DeLorme, owner of Spirit State Shop.

Parent Traci Williams said, "You guys have problems in the park that have absolutely nothing to do with the skaters."

J.D. Carabin of Serious JuJu said, "Don't fool yourself that there's one cure-all, one Band-Aid that fits all. You need to develop relationships" with skateboarders and other park users.

Monday's crowd offered several points, including:

. Suggestions that a foundation or formal group be organized to look after skate park interests. Its leaders should include city officials, kids and parents.

. Non-skateboarders and non-swimmers hanging around the swimming pool and skate park cause most of the troubles. However, loitering for peace and enjoyment is a fundamental function of any park, which complicates distinguishing who should be targeted by police.

. Older and younger skateboarders get along well, creating a family-like and mentoring atmosphere.

"The skaters are all my family," a young boy, Josh Bryan, said.

Many park users, including skateboarders, already do a significant amount of litter cleanup on their own, people said.

. Existing bans on smoking, drinking and drugs are not observed by many loiterers, and these bans should be enforced more as a way of removing or punishing disruptive people. Some suggested creating a designated smoking area away from the pool and skate park.

. Closing the park and cutting back on hours as punitive measures won't work because the disruptive people would ignore those bans.

"If the skate park closes, the loiterers will still be there doing their drugs," parent Serra Valentine said.

A young boy, Julian Rodriguez, said: "If you guys close the skate park, where would we go?"

. The city's law requiring all skateboarders to wear helmets should be strictly enforced for youths younger than 18. But helmet use for people 18 and older should be optional.

Several crowd members argued that police should concentrate more on people violating other park rules and committing crimes. Crowd members acknowledged that skateboarding without helmets increases risks of head injuries.

Some argued for more helmets to be made available to young skateboarders.

Police Chief Roger Nasset and parks director Mike Baker supported helmet requirements for everyone, citing safety concerns.

. Some type of skateboarding "ambassadors" should be created to make sure rules are followed, trash is picked up and others provide help. Crowd members suggested both adults and teens could fill these quasi-supervisory roles. However, some also pointed out that it is hard for teens to enforce rules on their peers and on disruptive people.

. The actual skateboarding bowl area is too small, with four skateboarders being too many to use it simultaneously. People frequently crowd around in that area to wait for their turns. Some suggested cordoning off part of the parking lot next to the skateboard park as an additional skating area.

"You're trying to put 12 pairs of shoes in one shoe box," said Scott McGuffey of Serious JuJu.

. People should be encouraged to use their cell phones more to call police about disruptive people in the park.

Nasset said the police department is exploring buying equipment so people can send text messages to the police from the park - meaning disruptive people won't know that a nearby person is contacting the police. That equipment would cost about $2,000.

The police did not have the money in its 2008-'09 budget but might try to find that money in future budgets, Nasset said.

. Setting up sign-in gates and speed bumps in the park.

. Setting up a system in which three park-related violations lead to permanent expulsion from the park.

. Providing drinking fountains and bathrooms for people in that area.

. Providing bleachers to encourage adults to sit and watch - adding to an adult presence in the area.

In a related matter, some skateboarders also lobbied the council to end the ban on skateboarding on sidewalks and streets, as long as those boards are used solely to go from one place to another. They compared that to bicycles being used for the same purpose.

Skateboarders use different types of boards for transportation and for stunts - with "longboards" used solely for travel.

"You've brought forward some really great ideas," Mayor Pam Kennedy told the crowd.

Kennedy told city officials to explore the legalities of creating a skateboard-related foundation or organization.

She also wanted the city staff to prepare a proposal to make helmet use optional for people 18 and older, saying the council will vote on whether to approve that idea. No clear majority showed up on the council Monday for or against that proposal.

Council members liked the ideas for a foundation, increasing law enforcement and creating a cordoned-off warm-up area.

Council Member Hank Olson thought money for the extra expenses could be raised by adding to the amount to be levied by a proposed parks maintenance district tax, which the council expects to vote on later this summer.