Skating Near Library Can Now Draw a Fine

Skateboarders and in-line skate enthusiasts now risk more than glares of annoyance from passersby when they practice their sport near the library.

A new ordinance declares skating to be a “public nuisance” and imposes a fine of as much as $100 for a first violation.

Second-time offenders may be fined $200, and those who return to court yet again can expect to shell out $500.

Drafted at the behest of Buena Park Public Library trustees, the new law applies to all areas of the city where signs prohibit skating. For now, officials said, that will mean the library area only.

Library Trustee Robert J. Niccum said that skateboarders regularly startle patrons by speeding around them on stairs and in the driveway.

Officials have even spotted skaters waxing the stairs for greater speed, which could cause pedestrians to slip and fall, he said.

Library signs forbidding the sports apparently have not fazed the skaters, and warnings from officials have resulted in “verbal aggression against employees and patrons,” Niccum said.

“Appeals to courtesy have failed, appeals to our posted rules have failed,” he said. “So now we have to appeal to the government.”

The signs forbidding skating will be posted only at the library unless officials hear complaints from other areas of the city, said Rick Warsinski, acting director of development services.