Ordinance to help protect Scott Co. parks moves forward

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (WKYT) - An ordinance is moving forward in Scott County to protect the county’s parks and the people who use those parks.

Earlier this week, the Scott County Fiscal Court had a first reading for the ordinance which, if passed, will bring punishments for people who use ATVs, mini bikes or other motorized vehicles on Scott County Parks and Recreation property.

“You want to protect those resources, number one,” said Joe Pat Covington, the county’s judge-executive. “Make sure those resources are in best condition.”

Covington says the Parks and Rec Director, Kimberly Rice, brought it to their attention as an idea after multiple acts of vandalism hit the county’s parks this past spring.

The Lisle Road Soccer Complex is still a work in progress, but that work was setback by people driving on its fields.

“If you’ve got a bunch of tire tracks in a soccer field, it’s not very good, so I think this is a step in the right direction,” Covington said.

Covington says offenders could pay a fine between $25 and $100, plus restitution for any damages dealt to property. But he says more importantly, it allows police to enforce these prohibitions however they see fit.

“Most likely our law enforcement, if they see someone, will give them a warning,” said Covington. “But it gives them the discretion to do their job.”

Covington says a second reading will occur during the next meeting next Thursday, September 22.

Youth soccer club Georgetown FC plays on the fields at Lisle Rd. which were damaged last spring. The club released a statement to WKYT regarding the situation, thanking the community’s leaders for working to protect and preserve their recreational spaces. They called it a necessary step and hope the penalties will deter any future destruction.

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