Eau Claire City Council members are asking questions this week after all of the benches and picnic tables were removed from Wilson Park.
According to a WQOW report, the benches and picnic tables were removed on Tuesday night as City officials and parks employees worked on maintenance projects in the area. According to City project manager Billie Hufford, the group was being escorted by the Eau Claire Police Department due to issues with people refusing to move in the park so they could complete their work and in some instances, becoming aggressive. Wilson Park is known as a place where the area’s unhoused population tends to gather.
Those officials say the benches and tables were removed because crews noticed they had suffered extensive damage. Flower beds in the park were also cut down this year after City officials found used needles in them. They say the removal of the benches and picnic tables were due to safety concerns.
According to the report, City Council members Andrew Werthmann and Kate Felton said they were not made aware of the removal of the benches and tables at the park before it happened. Both questioned how removing the benches and tables would address the root causes of the homelessness issue, with Felton saying the policies that allowed the move to happen without notifying the City Council should be reviewed.
The Eau Claire area has seen a concerning rise in the rate of homelessness over recent years. City officials were scheduled to meet with the City Council on Friday to give them a tour of Wilson Park and discuss their public safety concerns in the downtown area. There are no imminent plans to replace the benches and tables at the park.
