The Montgomery town board reopened all of the town’s parks and reinstated year-round hours of sunup to sundown at a heated work session on Jan. 17.

The town board passed a resolution to close all town parks from Dec. 1 to March 15 and set new year-round park hours of 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at a board meeting on Jan. 3. Benedict Farm Park and Riverfront Park were gated, while signage was posted at Berea Park, the Rail Trail and Twin Islands Fishing Park.

The parks were closed to ensure public safety and to protect the town from potential liability issues. Town Supervisor Rodney Winchell and police chief Arnold Amthor said there is little planning or organization for maintenance and security in the town parks, especially in dangerous winter conditions.

The town board passed Local Law No. Seven of 2018 in December, which requires the board to determine the hours of operation annually by resolution. Resolutions do not require advance notice or public hearings.

Residents and community gardeners attended the work session in full force to protest the changes and were pleased the board listened to their demands. While a public comment session is not usually held at town work sessions, the board made an exception.

Several members of the Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) and community garden—which is located in Benedict Farm Park—said they were not notified of the closings and change to park hours.

“It was nice to see them change their minds, but it should have never happened this way in the first place because there should have been a public meeting . . . Really we should have all known about it beforehand and there should have been notification of the CAC and community garden,” community garden member Gary Leather said.

Residents said it was unfair to close the parks in the winter because many people use the parks for winter activities, such as snow shoeing, cross country skiing, hiking, photography and more.

“That’s what we pay our taxes for, for those properties that we can go and enjoy,” former Walden Mayor Becky Pearson said.

Gardeners also said they tend to their plots at sunrise, which can be before 6 a.m., and later in the evening when it’s still light outside, which can be after 8 p.m. in the summer, and the year-round park hours were too restrictive.

Winchell said the parks have been a liability since they were created, and the board simply wants to make a plan for the maintenance and security of the parks before an issue arises.

“I’m worried about somebody getting hurt,” Winchell said.

The town set aside $200,000 in its 2019 budget for maintenance of parks in the A fund, which benefits town and village operations.

The board is still figuring out park staffing issues, Winchell said. It also is currently discussing an intermunicipal agreement with the Village of Walden Parks and Recreation Department for the creation of a town parks department using Walden’s employees and expertise.