[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City
of Meriden 5-2-1977. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Added 6-1-1992]
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meaning indicated:
Includes all parks, squares, boulevards, and areas of land
within the management of the Parks and Recreation Department and all
buildings, structures, improvements, seats, benches, fountains, boats,
floats, walks, drives, roads, trees, plants, herbage, flowers, and
other things thereon, and enclosures of the same; all shade trees
on streets or thoroughfares, resting places, watering stations, playgrounds,
other than school grounds, owned, leased or operated by the City,
parade grounds or the like; all connecting parkways and roads or drives
between parks; all avenues, roads, ways, drives, and walks, with all
trees, shrubbery, vines, flowers and ornaments of any description,
and all birds, animals, curiosities or objects of interest or instruction
and all tools and implements placed in or on any of such enclosures,
ways, parkways, roads or places; and such including term shall be
liberally construed.
[Amended 9-15-1980; 9-16-1985; 2-15-1986; 5-5-1986; 12-15-1986; 6-1-1992]
A.
Rules for parks, recreational facilities and municipally
owned property are the following:
(1)
Use of facilities at own risk. The City of Meriden
and the Parks and Recreation Department and their employees or volunteers
assume no responsibility for lost or stolen property, personal injuries
or property damage. All persons using facilities of the City of Meriden
shall do so at their own risk.
(2)
Disturbing or injuring animals and fowl; limitations
on fishing. No person shall disturb or injure any bird, bird's nest
or eggs or any other animal in said municipality, or disturb or injure
any animal wildlife within said City, or fish in its waters except
waters designated for such purpose.
(a)
Fishing at Mirror Lake is limited to individuals
aged 15 and under and adults if accompanied by a fishing minor as
long as the adult has the proper license.
[Amended 6-19-2000]
(b)
Fishing at Giuffrida Park (Crescent Lake) is
by special license only, purchased from the Parks and Recreation Department.
(3)
Designation of areas for special events; permit required.
The Director of the Parks and Recreation Department may designate
areas for special events and schedule their use through the issuance
of permits that must be obtained in advance. Anyone violating this
rule will be subject to arrest or suspension of park and recreational
privileges.
(4)
Solicitation and admission charges by users of facilities;
permit required. No person, group or organization shall expose or
offer for sale any article or thing in parks and recreational facilities
or charge admission in any park or recreational facility or portion
thereof without written permission of the Director of Parks and Recreation.
If granted, the Director of Parks and Recreation will determine the
amount to be assessed the group, person or organization for the use
of the grounds and/or facilities.
(5)
Ballplaying limited to designated areas; permit required
for tents, shelters or signs. Ballplaying or golfing practice is allowed
only in designated areas at all parks. No tents, shelters or signs
of any nature are allowed to be erected on any City property or recreational
facility without the written permission of the Director of Parks and
Recreation.
(6)
Opening and closing hours; exceptions. All parks and
watershed areas will open at sunrise. All parks and watershed areas
will be considered closed 1/2 hour after sundown, with the exception
of designated camping areas in the parks or where activities authorized
by the Parks and Recreation Department are being held, such as (but
not limited to) tennis, softball, baseball and special events. The
Department of Parks and Recreation may close or restrict the hours
of any park or facility without notice.
(7)
Parking. Parking shall be limited to designated areas
only. Parking off paved or graveled areas is not permitted except
by expressed written consent of the Director of Parks and Recreation.
(8)
Injury to public property; monetary liability. No
person shall move, remove, cut, write upon, deface or otherwise injure
any structure, building, fence, fountain, seat or picnic table, shrub,
tree or flower within any municipally owned property. Any person violating
this rule will be held monetarily responsible.
(9)
Animals in parks. All dogs in the parks shall be on
a leash, and owners will be responsible for "curbing their dog" (animal)
in actively maintained areas. No horses or any animal/pet shall be
allowed in any park during a special event sponsored by the City of
Meriden without the expressed written permission of the Director of
Parks and Recreation. All dogs or other animals must be curbed in
all parks and public areas. Owners will be subject to arrest.
(10)
Intoxicating beverages. Absolutely no intoxicating
beverages will be allowed in any park or recreational facility, except
with the written permission of the Director of Parks and Recreation.
(11)
Games of chance. It shall be unlawful for any
person to play any games of chance or have any instrument of gambling
in any park or recreational facility, except for carnivals and circuses
with the written permission of the Director of Parks and Recreation
and Chief of Police.
(12)
Traffic patterns; speed limit; prohibition of
commercial vehicles and buses. The Director of Parks and Recreation
will have the authority to regulate traffic patterns and flow, to
include road closings, on all park property. The speed limit in all
parks shall not exceed 15 miles per hour. Absolutely no commercial
vehicles or buses will be allowed on any park property without the
written permission of the Director of Parks and Recreation.
(13)
Motorized vehicles, such as (but not limited
to) motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, four-wheel-drive vehicles,
dirt bikes, etc., prohibited; exception. No motorized vehicles will
be permitted on municipally owned property off paved areas except
for official City of Meriden personnel or when authorized in writing
by the Director of Parks and Recreation.
(14)
Washing or polishing vehicle: No washing or
polishing of any vehicle is permitted in any park or watershed area.
(15)
No person shall hunt, trap, or pursue wildlife
at any time, and no person shall use, carry, or possess firearms,
air rifles, spring guns, bow and arrows, slings, or any kind of trapping
device, or any other weapons potentially inimical to wildlife and
dangerous to human safety.
(16)
Fires. Fires are allowed only in provided fireplaces
or portable grills in designated camping or picnic areas.
(17)
Boating. Boating is restricted to use of canoes
and sunfish-type sailboats and shall be by permit only, except upon
Hanover Pond and Beaver Lake. There shall be no boating of any type
on Mirror Lake except with the written permission of the Director
of Parks and Recreation.
(18)
Overnight camping. No overnight camping is allowed
except by written permission of the Parks and Recreation Department.
(19)
Fishing permits are required of persons 16 or
over.
(20)
Limitation on use of certain parks. Hubbard
Park, on weekends and holidays, is limited to Meriden residents only.
(21)
Hang gliding. The ascension and landing of hang
gliders in the City of Meriden is hereby prohibited.
(22)
Dirigibles; balloons. The ascension and landing
of lighter-than-air dirigibles and balloons in the City of Meriden
are hereby prohibited unless a permit has been issued by the Director
of Parks and Recreation.
(23)
There will be no dumping of domestic garbage
in City parks. Violators will be arrested. A carry-in-carry-out policy
will be enforced.
(24)
Other specific rules governing each park shall
be enforced where officially posted.
(25)
No person shall dig, remove, or cut any sand,
soil, rock, stones, trees, shrubs, turf, grass, plants, or down timber
or other wood or materials or make any excavation by tools, equipment
or other means (including metal detectors) without the expressed written
permission of the Director of Parks and Recreation.
(26)
All rock climbing is prohibited in any park
area except with the written consent of the Director of Parks and
Recreation and appropriate insurance waiver.
B.
Enforcement.
(1)
The City of Meriden Police Department shall enforce
all regulations with assistance of City personnel and private security
when applicable.
(2)
Any person violating any provision of this chapter
shall be subject to a fine, in addition to other remedies, of $50
to $90 for each violation.
[Amended 9-16-1996]
C.
Any and all fines and fees due to the arrest for violations
of these rules and regulations or other park regulations shall be
deposited into City of Meriden Parks and Recreation Capital and Nonrecurring
Account held by a financial institution to repair/replace park damage
and vandalism.
D.
A violation of any of the above rules or regulations,
in addition to the penalty provided in said rule or regulation, or
in the Connecticut General Statutes, can result in a fine of up to
$100 for each offense as well as payment to rectify any damage sustained
to any park property.
