Council agrees to vote on skateboarding ordinance

The Bloomington Common Council agreed Wednesday night to vote on an ordinance that would prohibit activities such as skateboarding in public parking lots and garages. It will officially vote on the issue at next Wednesday's meeting.\nThe council passed an ordinance in April prohibiting the use of the plaza outside the Showers building for skateboarding, but allowing it in the parking lots. Concerns about possible damage to parked vehicles and increased concern about the high traffic of cars, pedestrians and skateboarders prompted the proposed ordinance, said Risk Management attorney Jennifer Lloyd in a memo to the council.\nJack Davis, manager of the Parking Enforcement Division, said the division has periodically received complaints from people who rent 24-hour parking spaces who are worried skateboarding could cause damage to their vehicles. He said he did not know of any cases where skateboarders have caused damage.\nRick Olsen, co-owner of True Skateboards, is on the committee that is working on developing a skate park in partnership with the Parks and Recreation Department. \n"Most people don't even skate by a car because they don't want to hurt it. Nobody wants to hit a car," Olsen said. "Most kids I know will make certain that doesn't happen. I hear a lot of stuff, but I have yet to hear of damage." \nHe proposed to the council different ideas, such as banning skateboarding at peak driving times during the day. Also, with some skateboarding ticket fines costing $10, he proposed the idea of helping to fund the skate park so enthusiasts have somewhere to go.\n"Why not use the money from this $10 fine, which is going to happen even more now that they're taking more from us to go toward the park?" he said. "That's the compromise I want to see since they're taking away what they let us have."\nMichael Diekhoff (D-3), who is also a Bloomington police officer, voted "yes" in the preliminary vote. He said the main concern with this issue is public safety, especially injury to skateboarders and pedestrians.\n"We are frequently getting calls from people on Kirkwood where they've been hit by a skateboard or have had to jump out of the way, and it's just a big safety issue," Diekhoff said.\nHe said he is against routing the money from ticketing to a new park.\n"It's not a good idea to dedicate fine money to build something," he said. "That's not good government." \nOther Council members said skateboarders are being unfairly singled out.\n"There is an intentional focus on squashing these young people," said Patricia Cole (D-1). "It seems to me to be mean-spirited coming forward with this without any kind of alternative to where they're going to skate."\nBloomington resident Joel Cooke, who skateboards every day, said if a skate park was opened, he would stop skating in the city to avoid legal penalties. \n"If there was a skate park here in Bloomington, I'd be willing to to skate there instead of going out and skating"