Sorry, Parks Closed; Celebrate Labor Day Elsewhere

LAKELAND | If you live in the city and want to have a traditional holiday cookout Monday, the backyard or a drive to elsewhere in Polk County may have to do.

Several popular Lakeland parks will be closed on Labor Day. City bosses say the culprit is the inability to pay holiday overtime.

Lake Parker, Lake Bonny, Peterson, Westside and Southwest parks will all be closed Monday and reopen Tuesday.

"Labor Day is one of the busiest days of year for park system," acknowledged said Bill Tinsley, Lakeland's Parks and Recreation director.

The city has already closed some parks one day per week. Parks' reductions amounted to $550,000 of the recent $10.8 million in cuts to the 2008 city budget.

A spot check around the county showed parks outside the Lakeland city limits will be open Monday. That includes 34 county parks and city parks in Winter Haven, Bartow and Haines City. In the county and those cities, the drill is about the same, unlock the gates if there are any, leave the parks unattended and pick up the trash on Tuesday.

In Auburndale, both the city beach and downtown City Park will be open Labor Day. The beach has a $2 per person entrance fee. Six lifeguards, two ticket takers and one service worker to care for the bathrooms and trash are expected to work.

Tinsley said Lakeland would have needed 12 parks workers if the city had been able to open the parks Monday. He said not opening, and therefore not paying the holiday overtime, would save the city about $1,200.

Seasonal workers aren't paid holiday overtime, Tinsley said, "but all of those positions have been cut."

Mayor Buddy Fletcher said the city can't leave parks unattended.

"We have to open and close, take care of the restrooms and provide security," he said. "Not having anyone there could create a real liability. We have to have someone there."

Fletcher said it was unfortunate to close parks on Labor Day, "but we have to cut somewhere."