It is not against the law yet to ride skateboard and bicycles in Columbiana city parks, but the Columbiana City Council has voted unanimously to designate all city parks as &uot;pedestrian parks.&uot;

And detour signs should be going up for more street improvements in Columbiana.

Councilmember Tom Seale said with the designation city parks as pedestrian parks, the city can ask police officer to direct bicyclers and skateboarders to &uot;move along.&uot;

He said the designation approved at the council’s regular May 17 meeting is the first step toward an ordinance that would make use of bicycles and skateboards in the parks illegal.

Seale said the designation was a request from the Park and Recreation Board due to concerns about liability and safety issues in the event a cyclist or skateboarder injures himself or herself or someone using the parks’ walking tracks.

While Mayor Allan Lowe was absent from the meeting due to his military service in the Alabama Army National Guard, the council vote to designate the parks as pedestrian parks was without objection.

In precouncil Gail Hahn of AARP made a presentation on a class for senior citizens to refresh their driving skills.

Seale said Councilmember Ouida Mayfield will work with Hahn to setup the class for which a nominal fee will be charged for materials. Seale said as of May 23 R.E.Grills was expected to begin setting up detour signs for construction work on Walton and Water Works streets, Summer Classics Way and West College Street.

Seale said at Walton and Water Works Street, the road will be rebuilt and widened. And at Summer Classics Way and West College Street, he said, the project would include drainage, road widening, curbing and gutters.

The project will cost approximately $461,000 and will be paid for from road construction funds provided by tax revenue to the city.

Seale said the project would take approximately six months to complete.

The following actions were approved without a vote on the consent agenda:

*Minutes of May 3 regular meeting.

*Payment on accounts listed as of May 12.

*Reappointment of Lewis Atchison, Richard Cook and George Bentley to the Industrial Development Board to terms expiring June 7, 2010.

*Appointment of Keith Wheeler to fill the unexpired term of Kathy Carter on the Planning and Zoning Commission to expire Oct. 1, 2008.

*Appointment of Kathy Carter to the Board of Adjustments and Appeals (Building Abatement) to expire Oct. 1, 2007.

*Wes Walker to attend a police dispatcher training course at a cost of $75.

*Transfers of funds from the General Fund to the Park and Recreation Board Fund in the amount of $2,903.56 and to the Columbiana Library Operating Fund in the amount of $731.61