[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of
West Reading as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Recreation Commission — See Ch. 92.
[Adopted 4-16-2002 by Ord. No. 860 (Ch. XV of the 1993 Code
of Ordinances)]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated, unless a different meaning clearly appears from
the context:
The Borough of West Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania.
Unless specifically limited, shall be deemed to include all
parks, playgrounds, recreation areas, tennis courts, swimming pools,
recreation structures and facilities, and also entrances and approaches
thereto, and all other land or property or structures under the jurisdiction
of the Borough Council, now or hereafter owned or acquired by the
Borough for park or recreational purposes.
Any natural person, corporation, organization of persons,
company, association or partnership.
Any rules and regulations hereby or hereafter promulgated
by the Borough Council under the authority herein conferred.
[Amended 7-17-2007 by Ord. No. 957]
All parks shall be opened daily to the public 1/2 hour before
sunrise and 1/2 hour after sunset.
No person in attendance at a park shall:
A.
Injure, deface, remove, cut or damage any of the trees, plants, shrubs,
turf, buildings, structures, signs or fixtures, or any other property
of the Borough located within the park.
B.
Litter any area of the park with garbage, paper, bottles, cans or
other waste material or dispose of the same in any way except in receptacles
designated for such purpose.
C.
Kindle or maintain any fire in the park except in fireplaces or areas
specially designated for that purpose and located by authority of
the Borough Council.
D.
Remove any bench, seat, table or other appliance without permission
of the Borough Council.
E.
Injure, deface, destroy or remove any notice, rule or regulation
posted at any place in the park by authority of the Borough Council.
F.
Erect or post any notice or placard within the park without authority
of the Borough Council.
G.
Set up any booth, table or stand for the sale of any article or service
whatsoever within the limits of the park without permission of the
Borough Council.
H.
Distribute, sell, service or rent any services or commodity or solicit
for any purpose within the park without permission of the Borough
Council.
I.
Operate, stop or park any vehicle, such as a snowmobile, minibike,
motorcycle, bicycle or other means of conveyance, except in areas
where permitted or designated by proper authority of the Borough Council,
or operate the same in a reckless or negligent manner or in excess
of any posted speed limit or in such a manner as to become a nuisance
to other area users.
J.
Operate commercial vehicles, unless providing authorized services.
K.
Bring onto the premises, possess or consume any alcoholic beverage
of any kind, excluding in areas designated as part of a special event
approved by the Borough Council and with the appropriate State Liquor
Control Board permit. No person in any park shall be in an intoxicated
state, sell, distribute, possess or be under the influence of any
illegal drug while in or on any part of the park system.
[Amended 6-19-2018 by Ord. No.
1089]
L.
Carry or discharge any firearms, slingshots, firecrackers, fireworks
or other missile propelling instruments or explosives or arrows, or
other dangerous weapons which have such properties as to cause annoyance
or injury to any person or property, unless permission has been granted
by the Borough Council in designated areas; police officers in the
performance of their duties will be exempt from these provisions.
M.
Play ball, swim, golf, pitch horseshoes, engage in archery, camp
or launch, dock or land any boat, engage in finding buried objects
with special detectors, or participate in any other form of recreation,
sporting endeavor or pastime, except in those areas which may be designated
from time to time for that purpose by the Borough Council.
N.
Disrobe or change clothing except in buildings or facilities made
available for that purpose.
O.
Disturb the peace by any conduct so as to annoy any other person
using the park for recreational purposes.
P.
Use threatening, abusive, insulting, profane or obscene language
or words.
Q.
Commit any disorderly or immoral acts.
R.
Hold any public meeting or rally with more than five persons or engage
in any marching or driving as members of a military, political or
other organization without permission of the Borough Council, which
requires a statement of information, including the name of the organization,
its purpose, number of persons expected to be invited, expected duration
and name(s) of person(s) in charge.
S.
Disobey a proper order of a police officer or Borough Council member,
or disobey or disregard or fail to comply with any rule or regulation,
warning, prohibition, instruction or direction given by an authorized
person and posted or displayed by sign, notice, bulletin, card, poster,
or when notified or informed as to its existence by the Borough Council
or an authorized person.
T.
Hunt for, capture or kill, or attempt to capture or kill, or aid
or assist in the capturing or killing of, in any manner, any wild
bird or wild animal of any description, either game or otherwise,
and to that end, it is unlawful for any person to carry onto or possess
in any park, a BB gun, air rifle, shotgun, rifle, pistol or firearm
of any make or kind unless specific permission is granted for a designated
area by authority of the Borough Council.
U.
Allow pets to run at large out of control.
V.
Enter or use the swimming pool or any building or buildings appurtenant
thereto or the park or any building or buildings in the park between
the hours of 9:30 p.m. and dawn, prevailing time, without permission
of the Borough Council.
W.
Engage in roller-skating in or on any part of the field house.
X.
Commit a breach of the peace, be guilty of vagrancy, riotous or disorderly
conduct, engage in fighting, assaults, quarreling or inciting others
to fight, assault or quarrel, or to engage in any other unlawful act
tending to imperil the personal security or endanger the property
of the Borough and the safety of the occupants of the park.
Y.
Feed, supply with food, or attempt to feed or supply with food or
aid or assist in the feeding of or the supplying of food, in any manner,
any wild bird or wild animal of any description, either game or otherwise.
The Borough Council, having the operation and supervision of
parks and buildings therein, may, from time to time, particularly
during the summer seasons, change the hours of closing of the parks
other than as hereinbefore mentioned, in which event such closing
hour thus determined upon shall fix the time after which the provisions
of this chapter shall apply or the Borough Council may permit the
usage of the parks on certain occasions, the usage of which is herein
prohibited, but such usage shall only apply for the time designated
and after which the provisions of this chapter shall be effective.
Any organization using facilities is responsible to clean up
the area properly after use, to dispose of any litter or refuse and
to return the area to its original condition of cleanliness.
[Amended 7-17-2007 by Ord. No. 957; 2-16-2016 by Ord. No. 1054]
Pets shall be permitted in parks; provided, however, each such
pet shall remain on a leash and under the control of the owner or
person in charge of such pet at all times while in the park, and the
owner or person in charge of such pet shall immediately remove all
animal waste deposited by such pet and properly dispose of the same
in the receptacles that are provided in the park for this purpose.
All laws pertaining to fishing in the commonwealth shall apply
to fishing in parks and recreation areas, and provisions thereof are
hereby incorporated by reference.
The use of all parks shall be regulated and scheduled by the
Borough Council.
The Borough Council is authorized to establish additional rules
and regulations as deemed necessary.
Recreation facilities which become hazardous for public use
due to weather, water, fire or unforeseeable conditions may be closed
only at the discretion of the Borough Council.
The police officers of the Borough are charged with enforcement
of the provisions of this chapter and of rules and regulations promulgated
by the Borough Council.
Any person who violates or permits a violation of this article
shall, upon being found liable therefor, pay a fine of not more than
$600, plus court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by
the Borough in the enforcement proceedings. If the penalty is not
paid, the Borough shall initiate a civil action for collection in
accordance with the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure. Each day
a violation exists shall constitute a separate offense, and each section
of this article that is violated shall also constitute a separate
offense. In addition to or in lieu of enforcement under this section,
the Borough may enforce this article in equity in the Court of Common
Pleas of Berks County.
This chapter shall become effective on July 27, 1984.
[Adopted 8-16-2016 by Ord. No. 1061]
The areas of parks and playgrounds where children are present,
including picnic areas, sports and athletic fields, pool, and playground
areas in the Borough of West Reading, shall be designated tobacco/e-cigarette-free
and the use of any tobacco product in any form shall be prohibited
hereafter.
"Young Lungs at Play" signs or other appropriate signage will
be posted delineating the tobacco/e-cigarette-free areas.
A ten-foot-by-ten-foot area at the southern end of walking bridge,
adjacent to the pool, is hereby designated as the only smoking area
in the entire park/recreation area.
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision
of the ordinance shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay
a fine of up to $600 and default of payment, to imprisonment for a
term not to exceed 30 days.
