Village of Balsam Lake, WI Parks and Recreation

Purpose and definition. In order to protect the parks, parkways, recreational facilities and conservancy areas within the Village from injury, damage or desecration, these regulations are enacted. The term "park" as hereinafter used in this chapter shall include all grounds, structures and watercourses which are or may be located within any area dedicated to the public use as a park, parkway, recreation facility or conservancy district in the Village.

Parks:

(1)

Pine Park.

Campground.

Playground area.

Disc golf area.

Ball field, volleyball and tennis court area.

(3)

Ferguson (also known as Triangle or Juneberry) Park.

(4)

Village beach and picnic area.

(5)

Mill Street public boat launch and docks.

(6)

All public access areas, piers and docks on Balsam Lake.

(7)

Boat launch at STH 46 and Pleasant Avenue.

(8)

Village trails.

(9)

Other areas designated by the Village Board.

Park map. The Village of Balsam Lake Park Map, on file in the Village Clerk's office, is incorporated herein.

Specific regulations.

(1)

Littering prohibited. No person shall litter, dump or deposit any rubbish, refuse, earth or other material in any park.

(2)

Sound devices. No person or group shall operate or play any amplifying system after quiet hours as provided in § 235-4b of this chapter unless he or she has obtained an amplified noise permit as provided in Chapter 221, § 221-5, of this Code.

(3)

Pets. No person shall permit any dog, cat or other pet owned by him/her to run at large in any park.

(4)

Bill posting. No person shall post, paste, fasten, paint or attach any placard, bill, notice, sign or advertising matter upon any structure, tree or other natural object in any park, except park regulations and other signs authorized by the Village Board.

(5)

Throwing stones and missiles prohibited. No person shall throw stones or other missiles in or into any park.

(6)

Removal of park equipment prohibited. No person shall remove benches, seats, tables or other park equipment from any park.

(7)

Trapping. No person shall trap in any park unless specific written authority is first obtained from the Village Board.

(8)

Making of fires. No person shall start, tend or maintain a fire except in personal grills or designated fireplaces. Personal grills are permitted provided that lawns and vegetation are not endangered. Unburned fuel and ashes shall be disposed of in such a manner as to prevent fire or damage to any park property.

(9)

Protection of park property. No person shall kill, injure or disturb or attempt to injure or disturb waterfowl, birds or animals, wild or domestic, within any park, except as permitted in this chapter. No person shall climb any tree or remove flowers or fruit, wild or cultivated, or break, cut down, trample upon, remove or in any manner injure, deface, write upon or ill use any tree, shrub, flower, flowerbed, turf, soil, sand, fountain, ornament, building, structure, apparatus, bench, table, official notice, sign or other property within any park. The feeding of ducks, geese, deer, and other wild, nondomestic animals in any park is prohibited, except the feeding of deer with written approval by the Village Board as part of a deer control program.

(10)

Motorized vehicles. No person shall operate any motorized vehicle, motorcycle, trail bike, all-terrain vehicle, truck or other motorized vehicle in any playground, or other public ground where pathways or trails have been developed and/or designated for walking, hiking, jogging, running, bicycling, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, sledding or other pedestrian use.

(11)

Snowmobiles. No person shall operate a snowmobile in a Village park except in designated areas as provided for in § 286-8, or other trail as designated by the Village Board.

(12)

Speed limit. No person shall operate any vehicle in a Village park in excess of 10 miles per hour unless otherwise posted.

(13)

Glass beverage bottles prohibited. No person shall bring into, carry onto or possess while in any public park glass beverage bottles or glass beverage containers, including those containing or normally used for containing soda water, fermented malt beverages or alcohol.

(14)

Reckless driving in parks prohibited. No person shall operate a motor vehicle in a reckless manner in any of the public parks of the Village.

(15)

Horses and carriages. No person shall ride a horse or drive a horse-driven vehicle in any park or on any trail, except on roads or designated bridle paths, except when approval of the Village Board is first obtained. It shall be unlawful for any person to ride a horse or drive a horse-driven vehicle in a careless, negligent or reckless manner which may endanger the safety and well-being of others. Horseback riding shall be allowed only during the daylight hours. No person shall ride a horse which cannot be held under such control that it may be easily turned or stopped. No horse shall be ridden in a reckless manner. Pedestrians shall have the right-of-way when crossing a bridle path, and whenever groups of people are visible within 300 feet, horses shall be ridden at slow gait.

(16)

Removing tree protectors. No person shall remove any device for the protection of trees or shrubs.

(17)

Golfing and sporting activities. No golfing or practicing golf in Village parks or recreation areas shall be allowed except with the use of a whiffle ball. All sporting activities must be held in areas so designated for that purpose. Disc golfers must not play through or disturb campsites that are occupied by paid campers.

(18)

Arrows. No person shall use or shoot any bow and arrow in any Village park, except in authorized areas.

(19)

Fees and charges. The Village Board shall have the authority to establish such fees as deemed necessary for use of any park facility, campground, shelter, or land area. It shall be unlawful to use such areas without payment of such fee or charge when required.

(20)

Firearms; hunting. Possessing or discharging of any firearm or weapon of any kind is prohibited in all Village parks, except for authorized law enforcement purposes.

(21)

Fish cleaning. Cleaning of fish in shelters, toilet facilities and picnic areas in Village parks is prohibited.

(22)

Controlled substances. Possessing, using or dispensing of a controlled substance in violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act (Note: See Ch. 961, Wis. Stats.) is prohibited in all Village parks.

(23)

Camping. Overnight camping is not permitted in any Village park, except in the paid designated spaces of the campground area of Pine Park.

(a)

Fees for camping will be established by resolution of the Village Board.

(b)

No person shall be allowed to camp in excess of 14 days.

(24)

Commercial enterprise. No person shall sell, or offer for sale, any article, thing, privilege, or service in any Village park without permission from the Village Board.

(25)

Posted regulations. In addition to the regulations herein contained and provided, the Village Board may post from time to time specific rules and regulations; and such specific rules and regulations shall be incorporated by reference into this chapter as fully as set forth within.

(26)

Tampering with buoys. Tampering with or disturbing any buoys or markers so placed in any public waters is prohibited.

(27)

Restrooms and washrooms. No person shall fail to cooperate in maintaining restrooms and washrooms in a neat and sanitary condition. No person over the age of five shall use the restrooms and washrooms designated for the opposite sex.

(28)

Loitering on equipment preventing use. No loitering is permitted on playground equipment so as to disrupt use by persons waiting to use such equipment.

(29)

Responsibility for equipment damage. Any person or persons causing damage to property in the Village Park shall be punished and/or fined under the appropriate ordinance and be required to make full and complete restitution.

(30)

Satellite toilets; dumpsters. It will be the obligation of civic organizations or other major park users to provide extra satellite toilets and extra garbage dumpsters during the time of celebrations or special events.

(31)

Waste disposal restrictions. No person shall dispose of any garbage, bottles, tin cans or any other solid waste material, including demolition material, in any Village park where the waste is generated from outside of the Village park property.

(32)

Bicycle restrictions. No person shall ride a bicycle or skateboard or rollerblade in a reckless manner or ride in and around any bleacher area or shelter house areas. No bicycles are permitted in any park building whether ridden or parked there for any reason.

(33)

Picnic areas. No person in a park shall leave a picnic area or campground area before a fire in the said area is completely extinguished and before all trash, garbage and other refuse in the said area is placed in the proper disposal receptacles as provided for that purpose.

§ 235-2 Radio-controlled model airplanes.

No person shall fly a radio-controlled airplane or helicopter in any park in the Village except in areas specifically designated and posted for such purpose.

§ 235-3 Turf protection on public property.

Except as authorized by the Village Park Chair and/or Director of Public Works, no person shall dig into the turf of any Village-owned park property for any purposes whatsoever or remove any trees or flowers. Absent authorization by the Village Board, the use of metal detectors and digging for buried objects on Village property, except beaches where no vegetation is present, are prohibited.

§ 235-4 Park hours.

Park hours. All grounds and facilities in the Village park system, except the Village beach, shall be closed between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. the following day, except paid campers.

Quiet hours. All park patrons and campers shall keep noise to a minimum between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, and between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, unless otherwise posted or permitted by the Village Board or permit as provided in Chapter 221 and § 221-5 of this Code.

Exceptions to closing hours. A person driving through a park on a road shall not be subject to the closing hours; however, stopping shall not be permitted within a park. The Village Board may modify closing hours for particular events.

Village beach and picnic area closing hours. The "Village beach" is defined to be the real property, under the control of the Village, located between County Highway I and the Mill Street boat launch. This property goes from the water up to County Highway I and Mill Street and includes the Beach House building. The Village beach and picnic area shall be closed from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. the following day.

Exceptions. The closing time/hours restrictions set forth in Subsections A and C above shall not apply to the following individuals:

(1)

Individuals who are attending or participating in Village Board authorized community celebrations or events held at the park. However, all such individuals exempted by this subsection shall be out of the park within 1/2 hour of the end or closing of the celebration or the event for that evening.

(2)

Individuals or groups who have received permission from the Village Board for any special group activity. The Village Board may by resolution modify the closing hours for a particular event.

(3)

Individuals who are law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, emergency personnel, Village employees, or Village officers who are in the course of their official duties.

(4)

A vehicle may be driven through a park on a public road.

(5)

The launching of a watercraft or the loading of a watercraft for purposes of transporting the watercraft to a public road is permitted after closing hours at the Mill Street boat launch.

(a)

Overnight parking is not allowed in the lower Mill Street parking lot, across the street from the Mill Street boat launch.

(6)

Docking and leaving unoccupied boats at the Village Docks along the Mill Street boat launch shall not be allowed from 3:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m.

(a)

Boats shall not be allowed to be docked and unoccupied for more than eight hours at a time.

Park closing and opening dates. The Village Board may, by resolution, open and/or close any park, beach, swimming area, recreational facility or area because of season, condition, construction or when, in the interest of public safety, it is deemed necessary.

(1)

The Chief of Police or Director of Public Works will have full authority to open and close any park, beach, swimming area, recreational facility or area for season, condition, construction or in the interest of public safety, if it is deemed necessary.

§ 235-5 Swimming beach regulations.

Beach property defined and hours: see new § 235-4.

No person may possess or consume fermented malt beverages, wine or intoxicating liquor on the swimming beach and picnic area property at any time.

Use at own risk. The Village does not provide lifeguards; a person swims at his or her own risk.

§ 235-6 Violations and penalties.

Except as otherwise provided, any person who shall violate any provision of this chapter shall be subject to a penalty as provided in Chapter 1, § 1-4, of this Code.