RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS

                                                            OF THE CITY OF LANCASTER, STATE OF OHIO

 

 

                Be it Resolved by the Board of Park Commissioners, of the City of Lancaster, State of Ohio -

 

                That Rules and Regulations for the management, Protection and Control of the Parks, Park-Driveways and Park Entrances of the said City of Lancaster, State of Ohio, be, and the same are hereby established as follows:

 

                Sec. 1: a.  The Parks are constructed and maintained for the use of the public on absolutely equal terms and none shall be given special privileges therein or be permitted to make use of them for any purpose not practically common to all and not in consonance with the proper uses of the Park.

 

                b.  Rising Park shall be closed each day at dusk and no person shall be allowed therein after that time except that upon application to the Superintendent and at his discretion he may grant permission to use the shelter houses until 10:00 o'clock P.M. by reservation only.  Reservations will only be accepted from residents of and workers in the City of Lancaster.

 

                c.  Notwithstanding the above, ice skaters may remain in Rising Park until 10:00 o'clock P.M. when ice skating is permitted by the Superintendent.

 

                d.  All other Parks, except for Miller Park and Tiki Swimming Pool, shall be closed at 10;00 o'clock P.M.  during the months of May, June, July, August, and September and shall be closed at dusk during other months of the year and no person shall be allowed therein after closing time.

 

                e.  To that end no person shall with out first obtaining permission from the President of the Board of Park Commissioners or his designated representative, have or give any musical, theatrical of other entertainment, nor form any procession, nor hold any public gathering or meeting of any kind in any of the Parks of the City.

 

                f.  No person shall have in any of the said Parks any restaurant building or place on the same where refreshments, wares or goods of any kind are sold or orders taken therefore except upon permission granted by the Board of Park Commissioners.

 

                g.  No person shall solicit fares, or money or other things of value, or beg, or publicly solicit subscriptions in any of the said Parks of the City except express permission is granted to participating teams to take collections at lighted ball fields.  No speakers stand shall be used except upon the permission  of the President of the Board of Park Commissioners or his designated representatives.

                Sec. 2:  a.  "Vehicle" as used herein shall be construed to include bicycle, automobile, truck, motor vehicle or any conveyance of any kind.

 

                b.  No vehicle shall be permitted to stand upon the driveway or roads to the obstruction or the inconvenience of travel.  Vehicles must remain on driveways, roads or designated parking areas.  The parking of all such vehicles shall be under the control and direction of the Superintendent of Parks, who shall have the power to direct the time, manner and place of parking any such vehicle within any of the parks of said City of Lancaster.  No vehicle will be parked in any park after its closing time. Any vehicle so parked will be towed away at the owner's expense. No truck with more than 3/4 ton capacity will be permitted in any park without permission granted by the Superintendent. 

 

                c.  No person shall operate any motor vehicle, except when necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law, in such a manner that the vehicle is so rapidly accelerated or started from a stopped position that the exhaust system emits a loud, cracking or chattering noise unusual to its normal operation, or the rubber tires of such vehicle squeal or leave tire marks on the roadway, commonly called "peeling".

 

                d.  No person who is under the influence of alcohol, narcotic drugs or opiates shall operate any vehicle within the city parks.

 

                e.  No person shall operate a vehicle, without due regard for the safety and rights of pedestrians and drivers and occupants of all other vehicles so as to endanger the life, limb or property of any person in the city parks.

 

                f.  No person shall operate a vehicle in the city parks at a speed in excess of fifteen miles per hour.

 

                Sec. 3:  No person shall place or suffer to remain in or upon any Park or Park driveway any goods, merchandise or other articles in the nature of any obstruction to the free use and enjoyment of said Park or Park driveway, nor shall any person place any straw, dirt, chips, paper, shaving, shells, ashes, swill or garbage or other rubbish, even though not offensive to health in or upon the same.

 

                 Sec. 4:  The placing of any structure, sign, bulletin board or advertising device of any kind whatever, or the erection of any post or pole, or the attachment of any notice, bill poster, sign, wire, rod, or cord to any shrub, fence, fountain, wall, post or structure, or the placing of any advertising, decorative or other device of any kind whatever, on any of the vases, statues, bridges or monuments in any Park of Park driveway is prohibited.

 

                Provided, that the President of the Board of Park Commissioners or his designated representative may give permission for the erection of temporary decorations on occasions of public celebrations or holidays, and for temporary signs and displays promoting community health or welfare projects.

 

                Sec. 5:  No person shall remove, destroy, break, injure, mutilate or deface in any manner any structure, monument, statue, vase, fountain, wall, fence, railing, vehicle, bench, tree, shrub, fern, plant, flower, or other property in any Park.  No person shall deface in any manner Mt. Pleasant.

 

                And no person other than an employee of the Parks shall bring upon any of the Parks, or have in his possession while therein any tree, shrub or plant or any newly plucked branch or leaf of a tree, shrub or plant.

 

                Sec. 6:  Dogs are not permitted in City Parks except on leash.  If dogs or any other animals are found running at large within any of the parks, they may be impounded.

 

                No animals of any kind will be allowed to enter any of the lakes, ponds, fountains or streams without permission granted by the Superintendent.

 

                Owners of dogs, or other animals, damaging or destroying Park property, will be held liable for the full value of the property damaged or destroyed, in addition to the penalty imposed for a violation of this section.

 

                Horses are not permitted in City Parks.

 

                Sec. 7:  Climbing any tree, or walking, standing or sitting upon the monuments, vases, fountains, railings, fences or gun carriages or throwing or rolling stones or other missiles in any of the Parks is prohibited.

 

                Sec. 8:  No game of chance of any kind whatever will be permitted within the Park boundaries but portions of the Park may be set apart by the Board for play at croquet, tennis, baseball or other games.

 

                Sec. 9:  The use of fire arms, fire works or explosives of any kind within the Parks is prohibited except by permission of the President of the Board of Park Commissioners of his designated representative.

 

                Sec 10:  No person will be allowed to use any weapon, stick, stone or missile of any kind to the destruction or injury of, or to in any manner disturb or molest any wild or domestic animal, fowl, or fish within the Park limits or hunt therein.  Children under thirteen years of age will be permitted to fish in Rising Park pond.

 

                Sec. 11:  All persons are prohibited from going onto the ice on any of the lakes, ponds or streams in the Parks except such as are designated as skating areas and thereon only when permitted by the Superintendent.  If a sign is posted by the Superintendent indicating the ice is not safe, no one shall be permitted thereon.

 

                It shall be unlawful for any person at any time to cut, destroy or disfigure the ice upon the pond or other bodies of water in any of the Parks of the City, but the same shall remain undisturbed for the pleasure and recreation of the people under such proper and reasonable regulations as may be prescribed by the superintendent.

 

                Sec. 12:  Sleeping or protracted lounging on the seats or benches, loud, boisterous, threatening or abusive, insulting or indecent language, or disorderly conduct or behavior, or any act tending to a breach of the public peace is prohibited.

 

                Sec. 13:  No person shall take into or upon any Park any alcoholic beverages, either for sale to others or have in his possession for his own use or for the use of others nor shall any person five away or dispose of any alcoholic beverages in or upon any Park.  No intoxicated person will be allowed to enter or remain within any of the Parks.

 

                Sec 14:  Climbing over or going beyond the protection railing on the top of Mt. Pleasant and climbing or scaling the South of West side of Mt. Pleasant are each and all prohibited.

 

                Sec. 15:  Picnics are permitted within City Parks only at facilities and such areas as are provided for such use.  No person shall join any group without the consent of the persons of whom it shall be composed, or shall in any manner disturb or interfere with the same.

 

                Sec. 16:  No person shall injure, deface or destroy any notice of the rules and regulations for the government of the parks, which shall have been posted of permanently fixes by order or permission of the Park Board, nor shall any person injure, deface, remove or destroy any label or other sign from or on any park that has been placed there by the Superintendent of Parks.

 

                Sec. 17:  Wading, swimming or bathing in any Park pond, lake or the fountain in the public square is prohibited.  Boats are not permitted in Park ponds or lakes.

 

                Sec. 18:  No person shall clean, wash, polish or repair any automobile, truck or other vehicle in or upon any park except in areas designated by the Superintendent for that purpose.

 

                Sec. 19:  No person shall indulge in any indecent or disorderly conduct, or in any lewd or lascivious behavior in any park, nor shall any person commit any indecent, immodest or filthy act, in any park.

 

                Sec. 20:  No person shall play golf or use golf balls and clubs within the public parks and playgrounds of the City.

 

                Sec.21:  The Park employees designated by the Board are authorized to exercise all the powers of police officers within and adjacent to the City Parks.  In accordance with City Ordinance Section 737.05 of the Revised Code of Ohio such personnel shall take an oath and give bond as Park Rangers in the sum of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) to the City of Lancaster for the proper performance of their duties in such respect.

 

                Sec. 22:  No person shall throw or cast any stone or other missile, pellet, BB, stone, bolt, metal or other substance capable of causing injury to anyone in any Park.

 

                Sec. 23:  No person shall operate, or permit to be operated, any engine driven model airplane within any park.

 

                Sec. 24:  Any person violating any of the foregoing Rules and Regulations of the Board of Park Commissioners of the City of Lancaster, Ohio, upon conviction thereof shall be fined in any sum not exceeding Five Hundred ($500.00) and the costs of prosecution, and sentenced to not more than six months in jail.    

 

                Sec 25: It is forbidden to use metal detectors in any City Park