By Agrippina Fadel
Tamarac kids often have to dodge the sprinklers on their way home from school, sometimes forced to step off the sidewalk on the roadway to avoid getting soaked. Seeing it as a safety issue, city leaders said something needed to be done.
At the June 8 meeting, the city commission unanimously approved an amendment to the Water Conservation Regulation that will prohibit the use of sprinklers from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Commissioner Elvin Villalobos first brought the issue to his colleagues’ attention on May 11. City leaders then agreed to look into the matter.
According to Villalobos, the sprinklers near Millennium Collegiate Academy go off around 4.30 p.m., just as middle and high school students leave for the day. He suggested pushing the sprinklers till after 6 p.m. when schoolchildren are all gone.
“I was picking up my daughter from Millennium at her regular school time around 4:45 p.m. She had a meeting and got out around 5, and that’s when I noticed this young man dodging the sprinklers. It was either crossing the street or running through them,” said Villalobos, who snapped a few pictures of the student and shared them with the commission to illustrate the issue.
He added that the child dodging the sprinklers was a clear signal for the city leaders it was necessary to change the ordinance so the students could use the sidewalks and navigate the city safely.
“It may not seem like a big deal, but I brought it up to my colleagues. We changed the time so the kids staying for afternoon programs can get home safely and not get wet,” said Villalobos.
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