Published: September 28, 2008 09:40 pm         

City of Enid is responsible for much

The city of Enid has a lot of responsibilities.

That’s no surprise to anyone. There is the responsibility to make sure the streets are driveable. There is the responsibility to make sure residents are safe.

There also is the responsibility to make sure the quality-of-life issues are taken care of. One of those things is making sure city parks and playgrounds are well cared for and up-to-date.

One resident has brought up some issues recently with respect to playground equipment. She is worried mainly some of the slides are metal and can get to hot, making them dangerous for children. She says some of the equipment is old and outdated.

She has a point in some respects.

Some of the equipment is old and needs to be replaced. The city understands that and has a plan to replace it.

However, the city can’t just change out all equipment at once. That costs money. Things have to budgeted out and priorities set. And, that’s just with the budget for parks.

Then, there are all the other budget priorities.

Until then, there are other things residents can do. They can work with the city to adopt a playground. And, they can work with civic clubs to raise money.

It also is important parents exercise their responsibilities and make sure their children know the rules at playgrounds. They also need to make sure if the slides are too hot, don’t let their children use them.

There are many solutions to the situation. We think the best solution is a combination of all.