The Phoenix City Council voted to reopen some park fields and services on September 10 after being closed to the public for months.
Sports fields in the city’s parks can be reserved for games and workouts, and restrooms near the grounds will reopen.
The City of Phoenix had ordered the closure of the camps since April 2 to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The Department of Parks and Recreation presented a reopening plan at the assembly at the request of Councillors Thelda Williams, Jim Waring and Sal DiCiccio, a request made at an assembly on August 28 in which they delivered a note to city administrator Ed Zuercher adding a “point of action for voting”.
Tracee Hall, acting director of the department, presented a plan to reserve the sports fields.Reopening restarts the city’s sports leagues, in accordance with CDC guidelines.
According to a Phoenix press release, outdoor organizations and groups will be able to reserve the land if they agree to stick to protection procedures: “even dressed in a mask or mask for spectators, officials and coaches; stay six feet between the box and spectators, and restrict participants in a box to 48 young people or 24 adults.”
Hall stated that groups and organizations will have to agree to self-control their cash activities.
“This procedure will be advanced through (organizations) with a compliance officer on the site.Plus, we have rovers that stop at various park sites in their shifts,” he said.
Hall indicated that the city would practice games and practices to ensure that security measures are implemented.
Phoenix, the only city in Arizona that had not yet opened its parks.
The resolution to reopen the facility was not unanimous as the board members discussed security.
Councilman Carlos Garcia and Deputy Mayor Betty Guardado asked public fitness experts more time to review the plan.
Guardado said that in her own Maryvale community, she had two zip codes with COVID transmission rates in Maricopa County, which made her nervous about reopening.
“I’m not sure what Maryvale Park would look like, given that I have the instances in my district,” he said.
Garcia asked Zuercher when fitness experts take a look at reopening plans.
The city administrator estimated that the experts would provide recommendations on the reopening plan until 16 September.Given an additional week for the Department of Parks and Recreation to prepare, October 1 would have been the proposed day for reopening.
Williams, Waring and DiCiccio under pressure that young people want to be outdoors to exercise and socialize.Reopening September 10, 7-2.
“I think it’s time for other people to make their choice,” Waring said.
Contact the reporter at [email protected].