These local laws and ordinances may be enforced by the city police department, fire department, public works department, animal control division, code compliance department, the building official or other persons designated by ordinance or the city manager and other federal, state and local enforcement agencies established and authorized for that purpose.
(Ordinance 2009026, sec. 2 (90.78), adopted 12/15/09; 2013 Code, sec. 40-157(b); Ordinance 2020-06, sec. 1(90.78(b)), adopted 8/4/20)
The consumption or possession of alcoholic beverages including, but not limited to wine, beer, ale and mixed drinks, is prohibited in each and every park owned or leased by the city.
(Ordinance 2009026, sec. 2 (90.64), adopted 12/15/09; 2013 Code, sec. 40-143; Ordinance 2020-06, sec. 1(90.64), adopted 8/4/20)
Bounce houses or other temporary play structures designed to be inflated are permitted on city park property, upon the completion of the permit application and a waiver of liability. The bounce house may only be inflated on the day of the scheduled event and must be deflated within two hours after the conclusion of the event. The applicant and all participants understand and agree that the city is not approving the use of bounce houses and shall not hold the city responsible for its use or misuse.
(Ordinance 2009026, sec. 2 (90.65), adopted 12/15/09; 2013 Code, sec. 40-144; Ordinance 2020-06, sec. 1(90.65), adopted 8/4/20)
(a) 
Domesticated animals, such as dogs and cats, shall be permitted in park areas provided the animal is penned, caged, on a leash under six feet in length, or otherwise physically restrained, and has been properly tagged and vaccinated in accordance with city ordinances. Animals shall not be allowed to impede or restrict full and free use of park land by the public. Unattended animals shall not be permitted on park land. Animals, except properly trained animals assisting those with disabilities (such as seeing-eye dogs), are prohibited in sanitary facilities, playgrounds and any other areas so designated by the city manager or his/her designee. Abandonment of any animal on city-owned land is prohibited. Unclaimed or unattended animals are subject to immediate impoundment in accordance with city ordinances.
(b) 
No person shall allow animals to bark or emit other noise, which unreasonably disturbs persons on park property. It shall be prima facie evidence of unreasonable disturbance if the animal barks, or emits other noise, for longer than 15 consecutive minutes.
(c) 
Persons bringing or allowing animals in designated public use areas shall be responsible for proper removal and disposal of any waste/feces produced by these animals.
(d) 
No person shall bring or allow cattle or other livestock except horses being used for equestrian purposes onto park land, except as designated by the city manager or his/her designee as part of an approved special event.
(e) 
Ranging, grazing, watering of, or allowing livestock on park land is prohibited except when authorized by lease, license or other written agreement with the city.
(f) 
Unauthorized livestock are subject to impoundment in accordance with city ordinances.
(g) 
Any animal impounded under the provisions of this section shall be subject to all appropriate fees and expenses upon recoupment by the owner or other person with care, custody or control of the animal. All fees shall be paid before the impounded animal is returned to its owner(s).
(h) 
Wild or exotic pets and animals (including but not limited to cougars, lions, bears, bobcats, wolves, and snakes), or any pets or animals displaying vicious or aggressive behavior or otherwise posing a threat to public safety or deemed a public nuisance, are prohibited from park land, unless otherwise permitted by ordinance, and are subject to removal in accordance with federal, state and local laws.
(i) 
No owner or possessor of any animal shall permit any animal to enter or remain in any area of a city park which is posted to indicate such restriction.
(Ordinance 2009026, sec. 2 (90.66), adopted 12/15/09; 2013 Code, sec. 40-145; Ordinance 2020-06, sec. 1(90.66), adopted 8/4/20)
No person shall play or practice the game of golf in any city park, which shall include but not be limited to driving, putting, and chipping.
(Ordinance 2009026, sec. 2 (90.67), adopted 12/15/09; 2013 Code, sec. 40-146; Ordinance 2020-06, sec. 1(90.67), adopted 8/4/20)
No person shall swim or wade in any lake, stream, or pond in the city park system, unless designated otherwise.
(Ordinance 2009026, sec. 2 (90.68), adopted 12/15/09; 2013 Code, sec. 40-147; Ordinance 2020-06, sec. 1(90.68), adopted 8/4/20)
Picnicking and related day-use activities are permitted, except in those areas where prohibited by the city manager or his/her designee and so designated by a posted sign.
(Ordinance 2009026, sec. 2 (90.69), adopted 12/15/09; 2013 Code, sec. 40-148; Ordinance 2020-06, sec. 1(90.69), adopted 8/4/20)
(a) 
Hunting and discharging firearms is prohibited in all parks.
(b) 
Trapping is prohibited in all park land.
(c) 
All applicable federal, state and local laws will regulate these activities on city-owned or leased property.
(Ordinance 2009026, sec. 2 (90.70), adopted 12/15/09; 2013 Code, sec. 40-149; Ordinance 2020-06, sec. 1(90.70), adopted 8/4/20)
(a) 
Garbage, trash, rubbish, litter, gray water, or any other waste material or waste liquid generated on park land and incidental to authorized recreational activities shall be either removed from park land or deposited in receptacles provided for that purpose. The improper deposit or disposal of such wastes, human and animal waste included, on park land is prohibited. For all purposes hereunder, the disposal of such waste shall be the responsibility of the person renting the park space, or using the facilities, when the waste was created or the registered owner of the vehicle from where the waste came from or was transported by, unless a specific violator can be identified.
(b) 
No person may dispose of or dump onto park land any household or commercial garbage, trash, rubbish, debris, dead animals or litter of any kind. Park land trash receptacles shall only be used for approved waste disposal as stated herein and not be used for waste generated by non-park land users. No person shall bring trash, rubbish, garbage or waste of any kind onto park land for disposal.
(c) 
The spilling, pumping, discharge or disposal of contaminants, pollutants, gray-water, or other wastes, including, but not limited to, human or animal waste, petroleum, industrial and commercial products and by-products, on park land is prohibited.
(d) 
Picnickers and all other persons using city-owned property shall keep their sites free of trash and litter and shall remove all personal equipment and clean their sites upon departure. Failure to do so shall be a violation of this section.
(e) 
The discharge or placing of sewage, waste, garbage, refuse, or pollutants onto park land from any vehicle is prohibited.
(Ordinance 2009026, sec. 2 (90.71), adopted 12/15/09; 2013 Code, sec. 40-150; Ordinance 2020-06, sec. 1(90.71), adopted 8/4/20)
(a) 
Gasoline and other accelerants, except that which is contained in the factory installed storage tanks of vehicles, shall not be carried onto or stored on the park land without written permission of the city manager or his/her designee.
(b) 
Fires, open flames, and barbeques are prohibited on all park property except in designated grills sites provided by the city. Applicant must provide a method of extinguishment that is approved by the fire department.
(c) 
Use of tobacco or other smoking materials, matches or other burning material is prohibited, except as otherwise provided herein.
(Ordinance 2009026, sec. 2 (90.72), adopted 12/15/09; 2013 Code, sec. 40-151; Ordinance 2020-06, sec. 1(90.72), adopted 8/4/20)
(a) 
The possession of loaded firearms, ammunition, loaded projectile firing devices, bows and arrows, crossbows, or other weapons is prohibited unless:
(1) 
In the possession of a federal, state or local law enforcement officer;
(2) 
The person is in possession of the firearm consistent with the state’s concealed handgun law, V.T.C.A. Government Code, chapter 411, subch. H, as it exists and may be amended.
(b) 
Possession of explosives or explosive devices of any kind, including fireworks or other pyrotechnics, is prohibited. Fireworks may be allowed in conjunction with a city-sponsored event by a licensed pyrotechnic company.
(c) 
All such activities and possession shall be regulated by the applicable federal, state and local laws.
(Ordinance 2009026, sec. 2 (90.73), adopted 12/15/09; 2013 Code, sec. 40-152; Ordinance 2020-06, sec. 1(90.73), adopted 8/4/20)
(a) 
Destruction, damage, defacement, removal or any alteration of public property including, but not limited to, developed facilities, signs, structures and vegetative growth, is prohibited.
(b) 
Cutting or gathering of trees or parts of trees and/or the removal of wood from city-owned lands is prohibited without written permission of the city manager or his/her designee consistent with the city’s tree preservation ordinances.
(2013 Code, sec. 40-153; Ordinance 2009026, sec. 2 (90.74), adopted 12/15/09; Ordinance 2020-06, sec. 1(90.74), adopted 8/4/20)
(a) 
The provisions of this section shall apply to all property not subject to V.T.C.A., Criminal Procedure Code, section 18.17.
(b) 
Lost and found articles.
All articles found shall be deposited by the finder with the city’s police department. Articles will be held for thirty (30) days. Disposition of the property may be had in accordance with the abandoned or unclaimed property procedures set forth herein.
(c) 
Personal property of any kind shall not be abandoned, stored or left unattended upon park land. After a period of twenty-four (24) hours, or at any time after a posted closure hour in a public area or for the purpose of providing public safety or resource protection, unattended personal property shall be presumed to be abandoned and may be impounded and stored at a storage point designated by the city manager or his/her designee, who may assess a reasonable impoundment fee against any person who provides proof of ownership and seeks to reclaim such property. Such fee shall be paid before the impounded property is returned to its owner.
(d) 
Abandoned or unclaimed personal property may be disposed after thirty (30) days except that if it has a fair market value of $100.00 or more the property may not be disposed of until ninety (90) days after the date it is received at the storage point designated by the city administrator. The net proceeds from the sale of property shall be conveyed into any fund consistent with city policy and ordinances.
(e) 
The city manager or his/her designee shall cause to, by public or private sale or otherwise, to dispose of all lost, abandoned or unclaimed personal property that comes into city custody or control, consistent with city policies and procedures. However, property may not be disposed of until diligent effort has been made to find the owner, heirs, next of kin or legal representative(s). If the owner, heirs, next of kin or legal representative(s) are determined but not found, the property may not be disposed of until the expiration of thirty (30) days after the date when notice, giving the time and place of the intended sale or other disposition, has been sent by certified or registered mail to the person at the last known address. When diligent efforts to determine the owner, heirs, next of kin or legal representative(s) are unsuccessful, the property may be placed in line for sale, upon the expiration of thirty (30) days from the date of impoundment, consistent with city policies.
(Ordinance 2009026, sec. 2 (90.75), adopted 12/15/09; 2013 Code, sec. 40-154; Ordinance 2020-06, sec. 1(90.75), adopted 8/4/20)
(a) 
Special events including but not limited to music festivals, dramatic presentations or other special recreation programs, are permitted only by written permission from the city manager or his/her designee, consistent with city policies and ordinances. The appropriate fees will be assessed in accordance with city ordinances.
(b) 
The public may be charged a fee by the sponsor of special events. Proposed fee schedules must be approved in writing by the city manager or his/her designee. The city manager or his/her designee shall have authority to revoke permission, require removal of any equipment, and require restoration of an area to pre-event condition, upon failure of the sponsor to comply with terms and conditions of the permit/authorization.
(Ordinance 2009026, sec. 2 (90.76), adopted 12/15/09; 2013 Code, sec. 40-155; Ordinance 2020-06, sec. 1(90.76), adopted 8/4/20)
(a) 
Occupation of any park lands shall be in strict conformance with the application for park use facility, the policies set forth herein and as may be published by the city manager or adopted by city ordinance or resolution.
(b) 
Use of city-owned lands shall not be for agricultural purposes, unless set forth by city ordinance or agreement.
(c) 
It shall be unlawful for a person to enter onto or remain on park land if he receives notice to depart and fails to do so. Notice for purpose of this section shall mean the oral or written communication by the city manager, the police chief, or their designee. Such may also constitute criminal trespass in accordance with V.T.C.A., Penal Code, section 30.05. Written notice shall be deemed delivered when personal delivery is accomplished, a notice is posted on the vehicle occupying the site, on a public marker identifying the site, or on a stake in the ground within the site.
(d) 
The construction, placement, or existence of any structure of any kind, whether permanent or temporary, under, upon, in or over the city-owned lands is prohibited unless a permit, lease, license or other appropriate written documentation is provided. The design, construction, placement, existence or use of structures in violation of the terms of the permit, lease, license, or other written authorization is prohibited. The city shall not be liable for the loss of, or damage to, any private structures, placed on city-owned lands whether authorized or not. Unauthorized structures are subject to immediate removal or impoundment by the city without notice. No device shall be permanently affixed to any structure or tree on parklands and the nailing or affixing of any such device to any tree or structure is prohibited.
(Ordinance 2009026, sec. 2 (90.77), adopted 12/15/09; 2013 Code, sec. 40-156; Ordinance 2020-06, sec. 1(90.77), adopted 8/4/20)
(a) 
Advertising and the distribution of printed matter must be in accordance with city ordinance.
(b) 
Engaging in or soliciting business on city-owned land is prohibited. It is an exception to this section if the solicitation is done by an approved vendor during a city-sponsored event.
(Ordinance 2009026, sec. 2 (90.78), adopted 12/15/09; 2013 Code, sec. 40-157(a); Ordinance 2020-06, sec. 1(90.78(a)), adopted 8/4/20)