Earlier this year, some riders on the Bird rental scooters used the wheels to vandalize the newly resurfaced tennis courts at Veterans Memorial Park. As repairs start this week, City Council members want those responsible held accountable.
“I think that we need to send a message,” said Ward 2 Councilwoman Jolene Biggs. “People need to understand that they will be held responsible when they do that kind of vandalism.”
A topic during Monday night’s council meeting, City Administrator Kendal Francis said the damage has gotten some traction on social media. The chatter has been over the city’s course of action and who will pay for the restoration, which will cost about $22,000.
“This was discussed in the (Great Bend Recreation Commission) meeting,” Francis said. The Rec Commission has agreed to partner with the City for the repairs.
At that Nov. 8 meeting, the GBRC board approved covering half the cost, or $11,000.
He also said the Great Bend Police Department has two suspects who “all but confessed to the vandalism and we’re trying to pursue some restitution or look at some options for us.”
The Bird Scooters company has cooperated with the investigation. Since the scooters all contain GPS tracking, they were able to narrow down who was riding them when the damage was done.
In the meantime, city funds will have to be used to make the repairs, he said. “(To receive) restitution, we’ll have to go through legal proceedings to see if we can actually get something.”
“I think we need to pursue that,” Biggs said.
The scooter company also indicated it would expand the geo-fencing (which causes the scooters to shut down when they enter a prohibited area) to include facilities like the courts. “That’s the best way we have to try to prevent further damage,” Francis said.
The repairs will fix black rubber scuff marks left by the scooters and will involve a partial resurfacing of both the east and west courts, completed by Mid-American Courtworks of Wichita. The company originally resurfaced the courts as part of initial repair work in 2018.
The new repairs will include a single coat of paint to the entire surface of both courts, and will include the repainting of lines on the court.
