951.02    PUBLIC PARK RULES AND REGULATIONS

a)    Removal or Destruction of Property and Natural Features.

1. No person shall remove any property, natural feature or part thereof including, but not limited to, any building, equipment, sign, rock, stone, mineral formation, earth, wood, tree, shrub, flower, plant, nut or seed from any park without the permission of the Director of Administration and/or Director of Public Service and/or Superintendent of Parks and Recreation and/or their designee.  A violation of this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the first degree.

2. No person in a park shall injure, destroy, break, cut, chop, write upon, mutilate, set fire to, deface, dig, paint or damage in any manner any property, natural feature or part thereof, including but not limited to, any building, equipment, sign, rock, stone, asphalt, concrete, mineral formation, earth, wood, tree, shrub, flower or plant.  A violation of this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the first degree.

3. No person in a park shall impound or cause to be impounded any park water or in any way alter or affect the normal flow of such waters without the permission of the Director of Administration and/or Director of Public Service and/or Superintendent of Parks and Recreation and/or their designee.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

b)    Deposit of Materials.

1. No person shall deposit, discard, dump or leave behind any material of any kind in a park without the permission of the Director of Administration and/or Director of Public Service and/or Superintendent of Parks and Recreation and/or their designee, except material arising from the normal use and enjoyment of a park and then only in receptacles which may have been provided by the City for this purpose.  The first conviction violating this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.  The second conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.  The third conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the third degree.

2. No person in/or adjacent to a park shall deposit, discard, dump or leave behind any noxious or waste material, including, but not limited to, paper, garbage, ashes or refuse which may blow, wash or be otherwise transported into a park or diminish the parks appeal in any way.  A violation of this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the first degree.

3. No person in or adjacent to a park shall place or permit to be placed in any park waters any noxious or deleterious substance, either solid or liquid, which may render such waters harmful or inimical to the public health or to animal and plant life.  A violation of this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the first degree.

c)    Protection of Animals; Hunting and Fishing.

1. No person in a park shall hunt, capture, take, trap or in any other way abuse, molest, injure, pursue or destroy any animal, with the exception of fishing in accordance of the Rules and Regulations of the ODNR without a permit from the Director of Administration and/or Director of Public Service.  A violation of this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the first degree.

2. No person in a park shall move, injure or destroy any bird nest or egg or any animal habitation.  No person shall disturb the wildlife and their natural habitat.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

3. No person in a park shall fish in any park waters in violation of any sign or signs prohibiting fishing or a manner thereof.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

d)    Animal Control.

1. No large domestic or non-domestic pets or animals are permitted in a City Park with the exception of cats and dogs, without the permission of the Director of Public Service and/or Superintendent of Parks and Recreation and/or their designee.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

2. No pets shall be allowed in parks posted "No Pets"; otherwise not pets shall be allowed unless controlled by leash in designated areas.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

3. All pets must be controlled by a leash.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

4. No pets shall be permitted to cause damage to the park.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

5. Horses are prohibited in all City parks.  No person in a park shall ride a horse in such a manner as to endanger the rider, the horse or any facilities such as playfields.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

6. Pet owners must clean up after their pets.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

7. No person in or adjacent to a park shall abandon any animal.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

e)    Aerosol Paint Cans.

No person in a park, except City employees or its agents, shall carry on or about his or her person a container capable of propelling paint by means of a gaseous charge.  A violation of this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

f)    Personal Conduct.

1. All park visitors must obey all posted signs.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

2. No person in or adjacent to a park shall conduct himself, by work or act, in a riotous, disorderly, boisterous or other manner so as to disturb the peace and good order in the park.  A violation of this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the third degree.

3. No person in or adjacent to a park shall operate or play a radio, TV, musical instrument or amplifying or sound equipment so as to disturb the peace and good order in the park.  The first conviction violating this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.  The second conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.  The third conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the third degree.

4. No person in a park shall solicit or procure participants for, engage in or promote any game, which is played for money or other things of value.  The first conviction violating this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.  The second conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.  The third conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the third degree.

5. No person in a park shall use insulting, abusive, threatening, profane or indecent language.  The first conviction violating this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.  The second conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.  The third conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the third degree.

6. No person in a park shall loiter in the vicinity of a toilet and no persons over the age of six shall enter the toilet facilities provided for the exclusive use of the opposite sex.  The first conviction violating this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.  The second conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.  The third conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the third degree.

7. No person in a park shall assault or commit bodily injury upon another or engage in or abet or aid in any fight, quarrel or other disturbance.  The first conviction violating this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.  The second conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. The third conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the third degree.

8. No persons or groups of persons shall assemble in or adjacent to any park for any unlawful purpose or in riotous assemblage or with any intent to annoy, harass, or inflict property damage or bodily injury upon another person or persons or inflict damage to a park.  The first conviction violating this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.  The second conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.  The third conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the third degree.

9. No person in a park shall solicit or attempt to solicit another to engage in any act of sexual perversion or solicit, or request another to commit, perform, engage in any lewd, lascivious, obscene or indecent act of behavior.  A violation of this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the first degree.

10. No person in a park shall appear in a state of nudity or commit, perform or engage in any lewd, lascivious, obscene, illicit, carnal or indecent act of behavior and no persons shall make any indecent exposure of his or her persons.  A violation of this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the first degree.

11. No person in a park shall tamper with any security equipment that is temporarily or permanently attached to the restroom or any other structure.  A violation of this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the first degree.

12. No person shall ignore or remove a posted reservation notice.  The first conviction for this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.  The second conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.  The third conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the third degree.

g)    Camping; Fires; Picnicking.

1. No person in a park shall start or maintain a fire except in a place or site designated for this purpose.  The first conviction violating this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.  The second conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.  The third conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the third degree.

2. No person in a park shall build a fire at a time or period of time when the Director of Administration and/or Director of Public Service and/or Superintendent of Parks and Recreation and/or their designee has prohibited the building of fires.  The violation of this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the first degree.

3. No person in a park shall establish or maintain any camp or other temporary lodging or sleeping place within a park without a permit from the Director of Administration and/or Director of Public Service and/or Superintendent of Parks and Recreation and/or their designee.  The first conviction violating this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.  The second conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.  The third conviction for this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the third degree.

h)    Firearms and Weapons.  No person in a park shall carry on his or her person firearms of any description, knives, bow an arrows, crossbows, air or gas guns, missiles or missile-throwing devices or other dangerous weapons.  No person shall cause any of the aforementioned weapons to be discharged in, into, and/or through any park area.  The violation of this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the first degree.

i)    Commercial Activities.  No person in a park shall sell or offer for sale any article, privilege or service unless such sale is pursuant to a contract or an agreement with the City through the office of the Director of Administration and/or Director of Public Service and/or Superintendent of Parks and Recreation and/or their designee.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

j)    Erecting and Attaching Signs.  No person in a park shall erect a sign or attach a sign to property owned or controlled by the City, nor shall any person display any placard, notice, advertisement, circular, banner or statement of any other kind other than a permanent sign on a vehicle without a permit from the Director of Administration and/or Director of Public Service and/or Superintendent of Parks and Recreation and/or their designee.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

k)    Fireworks and Explosives.  No person in a park shall have in his or her possession any fireworks or explosives, without the permission or cause any fireworks or explosives to ignite or detonate.  Exception:  Planned stage events sanctioned by the Director of Administration and/or Director of Public Service and/or Superintendent of Parks and Recreation and/or their designee.  A violation of this provision constitutes a misdemeanor of the first degree.

l)    Vehicles and Traffic.

1. No person in a park shall operate or park a motor vehicle in any area other than designated park drive or parking area.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

2. No person in a park shall operate any vehicle in a manner as to endanger any other person or property.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

3. No person in a park shall violate the posted speed limit of the park.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

4. No person shall operate a motor vehicle on any posted pedestrian access/trail route into or out of in a park.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

5. No person shall park a motor vehicle overnight in any park.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

6. A motorized scooter or wheelchair may be used for the transportation of a disabled person.

m)    Swimming.  No swimming shall be allowed in the parks.  Exception:  The Municipal Swimming Pool during hours of operation.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

n)    Ice Skating.  Ice Skating shall be permitted only in designated areas.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

o)    Drugs and Alcoholic Beverages.  No person in a park shall violate any existing Federal, State, or City laws and ordinances pertaining to drugs and alcoholic beverages and their consumption and usage.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

p)    Hours of Operation.  All parks shall open at sunrise and unlighted parks shall close at sunset.  Unlighted parks shall close at dark (hours: sun up to sun down); Lighted parks shall open according to hours posted.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

q)    Employee Exemption.

1. Acts of City employees and its agents shall be exempt from these rules and regulation to the extent necessary for the performance of their authorized duties.

2. Director of Administration and/or Director of Public Service and/or Superintendent of Parks and Recreation and/or their designee may, from time to time, conduct or permit activities, which may violate the adopted rules and regulations.

r)    Ejection from Park.  Law enforcement officers, park employees, and other agents employed or contracted by the City to administer programs on behalf of the City may order any person violating these rules and regulations to leave the park, and no person shall ignore such an order.  A violation of this provision constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

s)    Penalty.  The penalty for all of the above offenses are set forth and defined in Section 2921.21 of the Ohio Revised Code, and the above offenses will be enforced in accordance with the provisions of Section 2921.21 of the Ohio Revised Code.  Whoever violates this section (951.02) is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(Ord. 36-92. Passed 11-30-92.)