CIBOLO, Texas — The coronavirus pandemic has ingrained new cleaning practices in all of us.
We wash our hands for 20 seconds and wipe down surfaces more often.
The City of Cibolo has also picked up a new cleaning routine.
A squad of four men makes sure city parks are sparkling clean and ready for families to enjoy.
From slides and swings to benches and restrooms, thousands of surfaces at Cibolo parks are disinfected three times a day, every day.
“It's been a priority to keep open our playgrounds and facilities as much as possible and as safely as possible,” said Cibolo Parks Superintendent Kelly Craighead. “We came up with the idea that we would go through a disinfecting program three times a day; early morning, mid-morning and late in the afternoon, just to keep it safe for families.”
Craighead said it was heartbreaking to rope off the equipment for a few weeks when the pandemic first started.
As plans were put in place to safely reopen businesses, the parks department geared up to make sure green spaces throughout the city were ready for family fun.
“With the pandemic, families are really hurting for things to do and parks, now, more than ever I think, are important to communities,” said Craighead. “We want to keep them open as much as possible for them to enjoy, to get out of the house, get a little bit of physical exercise, and help with mental health as well.”
City employees Ramon, Francisco, and two other crew members make sure the job gets done.
They mix up a healthcare-grade cleaning solution and give each touch-point a spray.
“They are very thorough,” said Craighead. “Because they live in the community, they care deeply about the community. They love the kids, they love seeing families out, so they do this for them.”
All four city parks and two athletic complexes are disinfected daily.
Craighead says in the future, the hardworking park's employees could be taking care of even more recreation spaces.
“It's fantastic to offer these options right now and as the city is growing, it's just going to get better and better,” said Craighead. “[We’re] getting ready to start some strategic planning on the way we're going to grow in the future; the more amenities we're going to add, more parkland we're going to add, hike and bike trail systems and more athletic complexes and options for seniors. It's a very exciting time to be in Cibolo.”