[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of
Bellefonte as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
[Adopted 11-18-2019[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also superseded former Article
I, Regulations, adopted 4-6-1992 by Ord. No. 1063 (Ch. 1060 of the
1979 Codified Ordinances), as amended.
The Park and Recreation Committee of Council shall possess all
the authority vested in a borough recreation board, as provided by
law, for the purpose of supervising and maintaining the parks of the
Borough and any other park that may hereafter be acquired or established
by the Borough as an official park of the Borough.
The following rules and regulations are hereby established for
the management and protection of the parks of the Borough, and such
regulations shall apply to all parks belonging to, leased by or otherwise
acquired or used by the Borough as official parks of the Borough.
A.
Talleyrand Park and the Waterfront Walkway shall be open to the public
24 hours per day. Governors Park shall be open to the public from
sunrise until 11:00 p.m. All other Borough parks shall be open to
the public daily between sunrise and sunset. The Borough will open
and close the parks based on the weather but typically open in April
and close in October or November. Parks close once the weather dictates
as there are no formal means of snow removal and the Borough closes
the restrooms and turns off the water before freezing may occur. These
dates are likely to change year to year.
B.
No person shall injure, deface, remove, cut or damage any tree, plant,
shrub, building or structure in a park or any property of the Borough
or of the Park and Recreation Committee located within a park.
C.
No person shall remove any bench, seat or table from a park or change
the location thereof without permission from the Committee.
D.
No person shall conduct himself within a park so as to disturb any
other person using the park for recreation or enjoyment of nature
or disturb or disrupt any event, activity, or special event approved
by Borough Council for which a permit has been granted.
E.
No person shall hold any meeting or gathering assembled by advertising or public notice or any gathering assembled and composed of 10 or more persons within the limits of a park (the criterion of 10 or more persons does not apply to Talleyrand Park; see § 405-5, Talleyrand Park reservations) without having first made application for a permit therefore to the Committee. Such permit shall indicate the spot in the park for such gathering or meeting. No such meeting or gathering shall be held at any other location within the park. The application for such a permit shall be in the name of the person who shall be responsible for seeing that all refuse left by the group shall be placed in the proper containers before leaving the park. Such permit shall be issued at a fee to be established by resolution of the Borough Council. The purpose of such fees shall be to defray the expenses of issuing the permit and supervising such activity. Permits shall be valid only for the day for which they are issued.
F.
No person shall set up any booth, table or stand for the sale of
any article within the limits of a park without the consent of the
Committee, which shall have the authority to refuse such consent in
any instance.
G.
No person shall dispose of any waste or garbage in a park except
in receptacles designated for such purpose.
H.
No person shall injure or deface a notice, rule or regulation posted
at any place within a park by the authority of the Committee or any
other authority of the Borough. No person shall post at any place
within a park any notice other than by the authority of such Board.
I.
No person shall maintain any open fire within a park except in the
stoves and fireplaces maintained for that purpose and located by the
Committee. Stoves of the Coleman propane, heat tablet, charcoal or
similar type may be maintained and used by persons utilizing parks,
upon park premises, so long as they are maintained, used and operated
in a safe and careful manner by the operators thereof. The use of
such stoves may be further regulated by the Committee.
J.
No person shall procure firewood from any part of a park without
permission of the Committee.
K.
No person shall bathe or swim in any area of a park except at such
place set apart for that purpose and then only when there is a lifeguard
in attendance.
L.
No person shall engage in hunting or fishing within a park or along
the waterfront sidewalk(s) located between High Street and Lamb Street.
Fishing is permitted along the waterfront sidewalk(s) located between
High Street and Lamb Street as long as the individual is physically
in the water. No one is permitted to fish from the stream bank or
on top of the lower wall.
M.
The speed limit on all roads within park limits shall be 10 miles
per hour. No person shall exceed such limit.
N.
No two-wheel motorized vehicle shall be permitted within the confines
of a park unless it is properly licensed and registered with the commonwealth
under the Vehicle Code of Pennsylvania. Such two-wheel motor vehicles
shall have affixed thereto a valid Pennsylvania registration plate
and sticker.
O.
Land motor vehicles of the two-wheel or four-wheel variety shall
be operated only on those roads, streets or alleys located in the
confines of the parks. No land motorized vehicle shall be operated
off such roads, streets or alleys within a park without the express
permission of the Committee. Such permission shall be in writing to
the operator of such land motor vehicle. Official vehicles of the
Borough or any contractor working for the Borough or the Committee
are exempt from the requirements of this subsection.
P.
No person shall bring any alcoholic beverage into a park, either
for his/her own use or for the use of any other person without permission
of council. No person shall bring such beverage upon the premises
of a park or upon the ways, roads or adjoining such park without permission
of council.
Q.
(Reserved)
R.
(Reserved)
S.
No person shall ride or use a bicycle, pedal-cycle, skateboard, e-vehicle,
or roller blades in Talleyrand Park with the exception of areas where
there is signage designating it allowable. No person shall ride or
use a bicycle, pedal-cycle, skateboard, e-vehicle, or roller blades
along the waterfront sidewalk located from High Street to Lamb Street.
T.
No person or group of persons shall engage in a baseball or softball
game, or in a practice for the same, except on the playing fields
designated for such purposes.
U.
All official Borough parks, and along the two sidewalks and/or wall
along the waterfront, shall be designated as tobacco- and nicotine-free
areas. This includes the use of a lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe,
or any tobacco-containing substance or of an electronic cigarette.
Council may annually, by resolution, appoint a Superintendent
of Parks after consultation with the Park and Recreation Committee
of Council. Such resolution may specify the duties, obligations and
privileges of such Superintendent.
A.
The following parks are hereby established as official parks of the
Borough. Legal descriptions of such parks are attached to original
Ordinance No. 706, adopted August 8, 1973, and are hereby made a part
hereof as if fully set forth herein:
A.
A permit shall be required for all reservations.
B.
Reservations for the use of all parks will be issued in writing by
the Borough Manager, authorizing groups and/or individuals to reserve
the park for special events in accordance with the rules and regulations
for use of a park as approved by Borough Council from time to time.
The reservation, on a form executed by the Borough Manager, shall
entitle the holder either to the exclusive use of the gazebo side
of Spring Creek or the park addition side of Spring Creek or the entire
park during the period of the reservation. In addition, bathroom facilities
will be available for the event, although not exclusively, as these
facilities can be used by the public whenever they are open. In the
event of a conflict in reservations, the first party in time to apply
for a reservation shall take precedence over any subsequent application
for a reservation.
C.
The fee for reservations for all parks shall be established by resolution
of the Borough Council. As long as there is an agreement in place
between the Bellefonte Area School District for the use of the Governors
Park baseball field, they are exempt from this requirement.
D.
Any request for use of a park for more than one date must be approved
in advance by the Bellefonte Borough Council. Each day shall incur
an additional reservation. Not-for-profits based in Bellefonte Borough
may request an exemption from the rental fee. The administrative fee
and a damage deposit shall still be required.
Notice of smoking prohibitions contained in this article shall
be conspicuously posted by signs stating "Tobacco- and nicotine-free
area/Young Lungs at Play."
