A parks board was approved by the Orange County Commissioners Court back in 1977. The board was to oversee the parks and serve as the administrators of the facilities.
The problem is since about 1995 there has been no parks board meetings. By the end of that decade there was realistically no parks board.
In the two decades since then, Hurricane Rita caused damage to the trees in Claiborne West Park and to a bridge over Cow Bayou which has never been repaired. Access to certain areas of the park is limited to the public and has been taken over for the most part by hunters.
Dale Parish spoke to the Commissioners Court last year asking for an appointment of a Parks Board in the county. Parish repeated his request again this week. He said after his first request a year ago he was told that it needed some study, but other financial matters have taken precedence and nothing has materialized as far as a Parks Board being appointed.
During his speaking to the Commissioners, Parish reminded them that it has been over 10 years since the hurricane damaged the park’s bridge forcing its closure. He stated that two-thirds of Claiborne West Park is inaccessible to the public. The whole nature preserve at the park is reserved for deer hunters only, and it is not even legal for ordinary citizens to go back there.
In conclusion Parish charged the Commissioners Court with the duty of appointing a new seven-member Parks Board. He wants to see these seven citizens to spearhead the parks department. Parish believes if the board can be focused on the parks, it can get them back for all of Orange County to use.
County Judge Brint Carlton indicated in response to Parish’s request he has put some extra funds aside for the Parks Department in his preliminary budget for next year. He said these funds could be used to repair the bridge over Cow Bayou at Claiborne West Park.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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