The Kewanee Park Board last week conferred its annual Child’s Best Friend award on the committee that plans the Halloween-themed Bakersville hayrack rides through the Baker Park inner drive. From left are committee members Cassanda Swearingen and Beth Kelly; park board President Paula Kapacinskas; and committee member Kelsey Neels. Committee member Leslie Ryan was not present for the photo. [Photo courtesy of the Kewanee Park District]

Battery-powered bicycles — called e-bikes — are a popular way to get around town.

But the electric bikes and scooters don’t belong on the walkway around the Windmont Park lagoon.

Andrew Dwyer, executive director of the Kewanee Park District, told the park board at its meeting last week that “We’ve had a lot of issues” with the electric vehicles on the concrete walkway.

A child was struck and injured by one of the vehicles earlier this month, Dwyer said.

The problem with the e-bikes is that they’re virtually noiseless. So Windmont walkers might not hear them in time to get out of their way.

Dwyer said the park district has a policy prohibiting the electric vehicles on the walking path. Now, he said, park officials are going to work with Kewanee police to crack down on violators of that policy.

Also at the meeting, the board approved an agreement with the city under which the park district will pay for dredging the Windmont lagoon.

Silt is fed into the lagoon by two city storm sewers that empty into it. Dwyer has said that dredging the silt is long overdue, as there are parts of the lagoon that are only a few feet deep, That has a negative impact on the fish population in the lagoon.

In the past, the city has chipped in on the cost of the dredging, But during a City Council meeting last night, Dwyer and city officials said they haven’t been able to find any written agreement calling for the city’s cooperation.

Another proposed part of the agreement with the city would have park district crews take over maintenance of West and McKinley parks. Those parks are owned by the city and mowed by city employees,

The park board hasn’t approved that switch, but the board expressed its “willingness to discuss” the issue in the future.