Vienna council members: city park not ideal for community service

By Laura Schiermeier, Staff Writer
Posted 1/15/20

The members of the Vienna City Council don’t think jail inmates working in a community garden at the Vienna Ballpark is a good mix with the many families and children who recreate at the park …

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Vienna council members: city park not ideal for community service

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The members of the Vienna City Council don’t think jail inmates working in a community garden at the Vienna Ballpark is a good mix with the many families and children who recreate at the park in the summer.

The issue was mentioned at the January Vienna City Council meeting as Maries County Associate Circuit Judge Kerry Rowden sent a message to city hall saying he and Sheriff Chris Heitman will work together to promote a community garden at the park near the sale barn for people in jail to work in it.

The council members understand the theory of a community garden but think jail inmates working there while children and young people are playing is not a good idea. South Ward Alderwoman Brenda Davis said the city park is not the “ideal spot” for an inmate-worked community garden. She said there also may be liability issues with the city’s insurance.

Police Chief Shannon Thompson said he thinks the public “would find it uncomfortable.”

The Advocate spoke with Judge Rowden following the meeting and he said he, Sheriff Heitman and Prosecutor Tony Skouby all want to find a place in Vienna for a community garden that anyone who wants to garden can use. It was meant as a positive suggestion and idea. The primary purpose, the judge said, is for persons who need to perform community service. He thinks a garden would be the ideal spot for that. About jail inmates, Judge Rowden said it would only be inmates with misdemeanor charges. No one with a felony charge, drug sellers or a person who is considered dangerous would be allowed to work in a community garden.

He added the there are people in town who would like to have the opportunity to garden, but don’t have space for it. His idea was for people in the community to have a place to garden and have a place for people to serve their community service.  

Also at the council meeting, in the financial portion, Clerk James said they used to pay the insurance premium of $32,000 to Naught-Naught Insurance twice in a fiscal year, and now the company wants the premium in one payment. The company covers city employees, and all the city owns plus all liability coverage. Clerk James said she paid the premium for 2020 but this spans two fiscal years. Vienna’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. The city will be over budget this year but they can adjust the budget. The next fiscal year they will budget for the correct amount so this is a one-time budget adjustment.

North Ward Alderman Tyler “TC” James said to do what needs to be done. Clerk James said she will code for the whole year and fix it in July.

She said the premium is up a little because they added the spec building at the industrial park when it was given to them by the VCDC.

Cash fund balances for January were: General Fund 9,290.78, Water Fund 46,379.49, Street Fund 37,733.03, and Sewer Fund 26,518.50.

Year-to-date fund revenues and expenditures were: General Fund revenues 189,089.35 and expenditures 168,278.64; Water Fund revenues 86,552.47 and expenditures 71,178.91; Street Fund revenues 46,779.26 and expenditures 22,777.23; and Sewer Fund revenues 44,340.62 and expenditures 15,941.28.