New London cautious about opening facilities
By Robert Cloud
New London playgrounds will be open, but the city will post signs warning people that they use the equipment at their own risk.
Chad Hoerth, New London’s interim city administrator, said the Parks and Rec faces unprecedented challenges due to the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Gov. Tony Evers’ Safer-at-Home order.
“Everything was kind of flipped like a switch,” Hoerth said at a special May 21 meeting of the Parks and Recreation Committee. “Everything was turned off and pushed onto local governments to figure out.”
Hoerth noted there are different opinions on how municipalities should respond without clear guidance from the state.
In addition, information about the pandemic is constantly changing.
Hoerth recommended the city of New London follow the safety guidelines set by Waupaca County Department of Health Services (DHS), the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
New London will open all city playgrounds, tennis courts, basketball courts, athletic fields and the skateboard park.
However, the baseball dugouts will remain closed.
Sporting events canceled
All organized sporting events will also be canceled through July 6.
“We don’t want to create points where people are congregating,” Hoerth said.
While the playgrounds will open, Hoerth said the city does not have enough staff to disinfect the equipment everyday.
The city’s public restrooms will also remain closed.
In the past, city workers cleaned the restrooms twice a week.
“We have an expectation to disinfect them several times a day,” Hoerth said. “That’s a big burden.”
Trails will remain open, but those using them will need to maintain the 6-foot social distancing guidelines.
New London is also canceling reservations at park shelters, the senior center, gym and swimming pool at the Washington Center.
“We will reopen the gym and the pool once we know we can meet the guidelines,” Hoerth said.
The city also plans to cancel all youth enrichment instructional programs for the summer, except Camp Hatten, which will operate based on WEDC and CDC guidelines.
When the pool reopens, the intial schedule will allow only adults laps, exercises and lessons.
Swimming lessons for young children will be modified to allow lessons where parents have the only physical contact with their children.
“The parent must get into the water and be the one holding the child,” Hoerth said.
For older children, the instructor will stand outside the pool to avoid contact.
“That’s what the American Red Cross recommendations are right now,” Hoerth said.
All special events will be canceled through July 6.
Hoerth said the common council must decide if it will cancel the city’s July 4 fireworks.
Noting several regional cities, including Appleton and Milwaukee, canceled their fireworks, Hoerth said being the only place to have fireworks could draw larger crowds to New London.
Hoerth said the special summer events that draw large crowds are described as “super spreader” events because the coronavirus can proliferate among many people and throughout a wide area.
Parks and Rec agreed to review its parks and facilities reopening plan every 15 days and update it as the situation evolves.
For example, the plan approved at the May 21 meeting is good to July 6.
On June 1, the committee’s approved plan will remain in effect until July 15.