[Adopted 5-7-2018 by Ord. No. 1964[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided for the renumbering of former Articles II through VI as Articles III through VII, respectively.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
CITY PARKS
Any public park, playground, or beach within the City which is owned or operated by the City or the City Building Authority that is open to the public.
SPECIAL EVENT
Any public gathering that the City of Kalamazoo designates as a special event to celebrate, honor, educate, or observe human endeavors and/or holidays. These events generally last a few hours to a few days. The City of Kalamazoo shall provide advance notice of these special events, and that notice shall have the designation of special event.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 33-23, City parks/public spaces, added 11-4-2002 by Ord. No. 1748, as amended, was repealed 5-7-2018 by Ord. No. 1964. See now § 33-24.
The following applies to all City parks:
A. 
No person shall enter into, remain in, or use any park at which hours of operation are restricted except during the park's posted hours of operation; nor may a person engage in activities that are prohibited by posted rules.
B. 
In those parks that are open to the public during nighttime hours, no sleeping is permitted between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
C. 
Fishing is not permitted in any park except where specifically designated at Spring Valley Park, Mayors' Riverfront Park, Rose Park, Verburg Park, Milham Park, Blanche Hill Preseve, and Woods Lake Beach Park.
[Amended 6-21-2022 by Ord. No. 2050]
D. 
The operation and the parking of motor vehicles is permitted only on approved surfaces, or in areas specifically designated for the operation and/or parking of motor vehicles, unless otherwise approved by the City. Any vehicle parked in violation of this subsection may be issued a civil parking citation, and, in the City's sole discretion, may be towed and impounded at the owner's sole expense.
E. 
Camping in any park is prohibited without written permission of the City.
F. 
No person shall pick, damage, or remove any flora, whether wild or domesticated, in any park, dig or move soil, or cut or remove a tree or any part of a tree at any park without permission of the City. The spraying, defacing, or painting of any tree, building, or any other portion of any park is prohibited.
G. 
Swimming or wading is prohibited except at Kik Pool and Woods Lake Beach Park during designated hours.
H. 
Bicycles, skateboards, scooters, and other similar contrivances may be operated only on surfaces designated for use by motor vehicles or on designated bicycle paths or skateboard areas. Bicycles must be walked through Bronson Park. No bicycles are permitted in Blanche Hull Park, except on bike trailways that are identified as such by posted signs.
I. 
Leashing of dogs.
(1) 
All dogs must be securely held and controlled on a leash no longer than six feet in length, except in such areas as the City may post and identify by appropriate signs as permitting dogs to be at large. Under no circumstances, however, shall a person allow a dog (other than a service dog), on or off a leash, to be upon the sandy beach near, or in the water at, the public swimming area at the Woods Lake Park or upon the golf course at Milham Park at any time of year.
(2) 
This subection shall not apply to City parks that are a designated dog park. Dog owners must, however, abide by the specific rules posted in the dog parks.
J. 
All dog owners and those in control of any dog shall immediately pick up any fecal matter deposited in any park and dispose of it in a proper receptacle.
K. 
No person shall build or maintain a fire in any park except in a City-provided grill or in grills brought to the park by the user. Where permitted, grills shall be used only for the preparation of food, shall never be placed upon a picnic table, and shall be elevated such that the bottom of the grill is no less the 25 inches above the ground. Under no circumstances shall a person build or maintain a fire, in a grill or otherwise, in Bronson Park or on the grounds adjacent to City Hall unless specially permitted in writing by the City.
L. 
No person shall set up a tent, or awning, or similar structures that are held up by stakes or similar devices without written approval from the City.
M. 
Sleeping or lying down to rest is not permitted at any time on a paved or otherwise improved surface, including stages or other elevated areas.
N. 
No person shall consume or possess alcoholic beverages in a park except during events where such possession or consumption is expressly permitted by the City.
O. 
No person shall wash clothing or other objects in or under park fountains, drinking fountains, faucets, spigots, pools, lakes, rivers or creeks within a park.
P. 
No person shall use an electrical outlet found within a park unless such use is expressly authorized by the City.
Q. 
Park equipment, fixtures, and other objects found within parks shall be used only for their intended purpose.
R. 
Areas that are publicly posted to be used for only specified uses shall be used only for said uses.
S. 
A Public Safety Officer may require any person violating this article or any other City ordinance to leave any park for the balance of that day. A person who refuses to leave after being requested to do by a Public Safety Officer may be charged with and/or arrested for trespassing.
T. 
No person shall smoke in an area or at an event that is posted or otherwise designated as being smoke-free.
U. 
No person shall interfere with an event or activity, public or private, that has been specially permitted in writing by the City.
V. 
No person shall charge or receive money or other consideration for admission into, activities in, or commodities of any type sold in, a park, unless specially permitted in writing by the City.
W. 
Unless otherwise specified, a violation of any of the above provisions shall be a misdemeanor.
X. 
The fact that areas that are not formally dedicated parks are treated herein as if parks for this section does not otherwise change the designation of said areas, nor make such areas a City park.
Y. 
In the event a person is convicted of a violation of any provision of this section, or if a person is otherwise convicted of causing damage to any park, the court shall, as part of any sentence imposed for such an offense, require that the defendant pay full restitution to the City for any expenses incurred by the City as a result of the violation and further may, as a term of probation, prohibit the person for a period of not more than one year from entering into or using one or more specified parks. The court shall liberally construe this provision in order to make the City whole.
No person shall consume, possess, or bring any beer, wine, liquor, malt or any other alcoholic beverage into a City park. Anyone who violates this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and/or a maximum fine of $500, except for the following two exceptions:
A. 
The Director of Parks and Recreation may, for the duration of a special event, designate that beer, wine and liquor may be carried in, possessed and consumed in City parks in a container(s) not more than 72 ounces. During a designated special event alcoholic beverages may only be consumed within the designated City park location. Only sealed, unopened containers of beer, wine and liquor may be transported to and from the City park before and after the special event.
B. 
Alcoholic liquor may be sold, possessed and/or consumed in a City park during the period of a special license with the specific approval of the City Clerk and in conformance with the conditions of such approval and the condition of a special license granted by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.
C. 
Alcoholic liquor and beverages sold by approved licensed establishments may be possessed and consumed in public spaces and City parks if the City Commission has designated such areas as social district commons areas by resolution as permitted by Public Act 124 of 2020.
[Added 12-21-2020 by Ord. No. 2020]
A. 
Consistent with the pertinent rules of the State Department of Natural Resources, the operation of a motorboat on the waters of the following lakes, or portions thereof, located within the City, is prohibited:
(1) 
Whites Lake, Section 30, Township 2 South, Range 11 West.
(2) 
Lake Hill-n-Brook, Section 31, Township 2 South, Range 11 West.
Any City park in which the dates and hours of operation are restricted shall have said dates and hours of operation posted at each vehicular entrance to such City park or at such other place within the City park as designated by the City Manager.
A. 
On the waters of Woods Lake (southeast quarter of Section 29, Town 2 South, Range 11 West, City of Kalamazoo, County of Kalamazoo, State of Michigan), it shall be unlawful for the operator of any vessel to operate said vessel at a high speed, which is defined (by PA 303 1967, Marine Safety Act) to mean a speed at or above which a vessel reaches a planing condition.
B. 
The City shall place signs in or near the waters of Woods Lake which advise the public of said prohibition against high-speed boating.