BMX Bike Track To Get Leveled

WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg City Council de- cided to level the city's BMX bike track at the north end of town because of lack of use in a 3-1 decision last Wednes- day night.

About one year ago, the council discussed leveling the track because it seemed as though the local children weren't using it. Former Councilman Orville Branson provided vocal support for the track that the Lions Club installed years ago.

Branson monitored the use of the track for one year and the Lions Club provided $300 to spray the track for puncture vine on the track.

City Administrator Ran- dy Hinchliffe said the city sprayed the track seven times throughout the year and removed two pick-up loads of puncture vine.

Mayor Walt Gobel said the Lions Club was supposed to maintain the track to remove the puncture vine and the obligation eventually fell into the hands of the city.

"The city works its behind off to keep it sprayed," he said.

Recently, the Lions Club provided another $300 to the city for another year of the track's maintenance, he said. However, Hinchliffe said Branson reported to him the track was used very little in the past year.

Student Representative Logan Dozier said he tried to use the BMX bike track when he was younger, but the puncture vine would cause flat tires on his bike.

"I would never go back," Dozier said.

Councilman Karl Newell said he was asked by a couple of children "who use it daily to keep it." He said his vote that night would support those children.

Councilman Kevin House said the city shouldn't take the cost of maintaining the track into consideration because if the track was level and grass was added, the grass would cost money to maintain as well.

Gobel liked the idea of a flat, grassy area that could be used for extra space for the staging area for the annual parade.

Councilman KC Kuyken- dall said the flat, grassy area could benefit the town by providing more parking dur- ing large events.

"We would be wise to level that," Kuykendall said.

High school students who attended the council meeting last Wednesday for a class requirement, threw out other ideas to make the area a skate park or add a basketball hoop.

Gobel thanked the teens for their ideas and added it would be hard to build much in that area because it is in a flood zone.

The council voted to level the track, 3-1, with Newell voting no. Councilman Scott Nettles was absent.