Hoerman park pavilion to have locking power box installed

The power box at the pavilion located at the Hoerman Memorial Park, the city-owned park located on Highway 160 near the elementary school, will soon be replaced with a locking unit intended to prevent overuse of taxpayer-funded electricity.

The work will be completed by Kenny Ericksen, the sole bidder for the project. Ericksen bid the project at $485, which he says involves getting the wires loose and putting them in conduit, then putting them inside a box that can be locked.

City officials say the open outlets at the pavilion have created ongoing issues. During prior council meetings, members and city employees reported that individuals have been seen using the electricity for purposes beyond the pavilion’s intended use, including charging electric vehicles overnight and setting up televisions, video game and movie equipment for extended viewing sessions.

Officials noted that such activity has limited access to picnic tables for families and other park visitors. The new locking electric box is expected to help curb misuse and ensure the pavilion is used as originally intended.