Note: Prior ordinance history: Ordinance 246.
The purpose of this chapter is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public, public investment, and public property and to reduce the risk of personal injury that may be proximately or directly caused by the unauthorized use of any city park or recreational facility.
(Ord. 1058 § 1, 2013)
The provisions of this chapter shall apply in all city parks and recreation facilities, including all grounds, roadways, and buildings when they are in use as recreational facilities.
(Ord. 757 § 1, 2001; Ord. 1058 § 1, 2013)
A. 
Operation of Vehicles. No person, except for peace officers and city employees acting in the course and scope of their employment, shall drive any motorized vehicle onto any park grounds. For purposes of this section, park grounds mean all areas within a park, except for roadways and parking lots intended for public use.
B. 
Commercial Activities. No person shall practice, carry on, or conduct any business or profession or other commercial enterprise, nor sell or offer for sale any service, merchandise, food or beverage in any park.
C. 
Animals in the Parks.
1. 
No person shall cause, permit, or allow any animal owned or possessed by them, or any animal in their care, custody, or control to be present in any city park, except:
a. 
Equine animals being led or ridden under reasonable control upon any trails provided for such purpose; or
b. 
Dogs or cats when led or controlled by a leash not more than six feet long, or when confined within the interior of a vehicle.
c. 
This restriction shall not apply to a dog when allowed to roam free without restraint in dedicated off-leash areas of city dog parks in accordance with Section 8.26.025 of this code.
2. 
Any person having the custody or control of any dog shall have in their immediate possession a bag or other receptacle for picking up and disposing of dog feces and shall remove and dispose of in a sanitary manner any feces left by any dog in their custody and control.
D. 
Glass Containers. No person shall possess any glass container in any city park.
E. 
Park Hours. City parks are open for public use between the hours of six a.m. and nine p.m. No person, other than a city employee or any other such person authorized by the city acting on behalf of the city shall enter or remain in any park during the time such park is closed to public use.
F. 
Fires. No person shall kindle a fire within any city park, except in fixed barbecues provided on the park premises.
G. 
Damaging Property. No person shall cut, break, injure, deface, or disturb any tree, shrub, plant, rock, building, fence, bench, monument, play equipment, or other structure within any city park.
H. 
Amplified Sound. No person shall use or operate a loudspeaker or any sound amplifying equipment within a city park, unless pre-approved by the city.
I. 
Tennis Courts. No person shall play or engage in any activity other than the game of tennis, on a tennis court located within any city park, including, but not limited to, driving of golf balls, archery, baseball, softball, football, roller skating, skate boarding, riding or driving any bicycle, scooter, or similar vehicle, playing soccer or volleyball or playing or engaging in any other sport.
J. 
Basketball Courts. No person shall play or engage in any activity other than the game of basketball, on a basketball court located within any city park, including, but not limited to, driving of golf balls, archery, baseball, softball, football, riding or driving any bicycle, scooter, or similar vehicle, playing soccer or volleyball or playing or engaging in any other sport.
K. 
Skate Boarding and Roller Skating. No person shall roller skate or ride a skateboard within any city park, except in places designated for such purpose, if any.
L. 
Handball Courts. No person shall play or engage in any sport, game or activity, other than handball, racket ball, tennis or similar ball game, on a handball court located within any city park.
M. 
Bicycles. No person shall ride any cycle, whether powered by a motor or human power, within any city park, except on paths, roads or drives designed and provided for such purpose.
N. 
Camping. Camping shall be regulated in accordance with Chapter 8.63 of this code.
O. 
Exceptions. The use restrictions of this section may be waived or modified pursuant to a park use permit issued under the terms of Section 8.26.040 or may be waived or modified by the city for any city-held event or city-sponsored event.
(Ord. 757 § 1, 2001; Ord. 1058 § 1, 2013; Ord. 1137 § 3, 2018; Ord. 1156 § 3, 2019)
A. 
Purpose and Intent. The purposes of this section are to ensure the safe and orderly use and operation of city-owned dog parks to protect the health, safety and welfare of dogs and their handlers during use of a dog park.
B. 
Applicability. This chapter shall be deemed applicable to all city dog parks automatically and immediately upon opening thereof to the general public.
C. 
Definitions. The following words, terms and phrases shall have the following meanings as used in this chapter:
"City dog park"
means and refers to any and all public parks or portions thereof located in the city that are reserved for and dedicated to off-leash dog usage.
"Dog license" or "license"
means and refers to a dog license obtained in accordance with Riverside County Code Section 6.08.020, as adopted pursuant to Section 6.20.020 of this code.
"Dog vaccination" or "vaccination"
shall mean and refer to dog vaccinations administered in accordance with Riverside County Code Section 6.08.020, as adopted pursuant to Section 6.20.030 of this code.
D. 
Use Restrictions.
1. 
Animals. Only dogs shall be allowed in the dog park; no other type of animal is permitted in a dog park.
2. 
Separate Dog Areas. No large dogs weighing more than 25 pounds shall be allowed in areas designated for small dogs. Small dog areas are exclusively designated for dogs 25 pounds or less. Small dogs are not advised to enter the large dog area; dog handlers do so at their own risk.
3. 
Leash. Upon Entering and Exiting. Dogs must be leashed while entering and exiting a dog park.
4. 
Multiple Dogs. Each dog handler is allowed a maximum of three dogs in a dog park at one time.
5. 
Licensing and Vaccinations. All dogs in a dog park must have a current dog license and all required vaccinations issued and administered by a county, city or other dog licensing and vaccination agency or facility. All dogs in a dog park must be wearing valid identification, affixed to conspicuous place on their bodies.
6. 
Vicious Dogs. Dogs which display overly aggressive or vicious behavior so as to create a significant risk of bodily injury to any person or other dog or property damage, are prohibited from all dog parks.
7. 
Female Dogs. Female dogs in any stage of heat are prohibited in a dog park.
8. 
Unattended Dogs. No person shall leave any dog under the person's control or custody unattended or unsupervised in a dog park at any time.
9. 
Puppies. Puppies under the age of four months old are prohibited in a dog park.
10. 
Dogs with Communicable Diseases. Dogs with communicable diseases are prohibited in a dog park.
11. 
Abandoning Animals Prohibited. No person shall abandon any dog or animal in a dog park.
12. 
Tethering Dogs Prohibited. No person shall tether a dog in a dog park to a stake or other instrument placed into the ground to secure the dog.
13. 
Dog Feces. Dog defecation must be immediately picked up and disposed of in the proper receptacle by the dog's handler while in a dog park.
14. 
Picnicking and Recreational Sporting Activities. Picnics and recreational sporting activities of any kind are prohibited in a dog park.
15. 
Frisbees and Tennis Balls. Throwing frisbees and balls towards areas where people congregate is prohibited.
16. 
No Digging. Any person with a dog that is engaged in any digging activity in a dog park shall immediately stop the dog from digging.
17. 
Children. Children under the age of five shall not be permitted in the large dog park. All children fourteen years of age or younger shall be properly accompanied by an adult while in a dog park.
18. 
Owner Information. In the event of a dog bite, scratch or other attack that results in injury requiring medical care to a person or another dog, the person in custody of the offending dog shall provide the following information to the injured person or owner or custodian of the injured dog at the time of the injury: his or her full legal name, dog license information, telephone number, mailing address, and driver's license number.
19. 
Liability and Indemnification. The city of Rancho Mirage shall not be held liable for the injury or death of a person or pet resulting solely from the actions of a dog in the dog park. California Government Code Section 831.7.5. The presence of a dog in a dog park shall constitute a waiver of liability, on behalf of the person either in possession of or controlling the dog, to the city of Rancho Mirage, as well as an agreement and undertaking to protect, indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the city of Rancho Mirage for any injury or damage caused by the dog.
(Ord. 1137 § 2, 2018)
Use of all parks by groups of thirty-five persons or less shall be unreserved and shall be on a first-come, first-serve basis. No city park, except Whitewater Park, may be used by groups of more than thirty-five persons. Groups of more than thirty-five persons may only use Whitewater Park after obtaining a park use permit issued under the terms of Section 8.26.040.
(Ord. 757 § 1, 2001)
A. 
Application. A person seeking approval of group use of a city park shall file an application with the city manager or designee on forms provided by the city at least fifteen calendar days before the use is proposed to commence.
B. 
Application Contents. The permit application shall set forth the following information:
1. 
The name, address, email address and telephone number of the person seeking the permit;
2. 
The name, address, email address and telephone number of the headquarters of the organization for which the permit is sought, if any;
3. 
The requested date of the group use;
4. 
The approximate number of persons in the group;
5. 
The hours when the group use will start and end;
6. 
A statement as to what portion of the park will be occupied by the group use;
7. 
A description of the activities planned during the group use;
8. 
A description of the waivers needed, if any, from the provisions of Section 8.26.020; and
9. 
Any additional information the city manager or designee finds reasonably necessary to a fair determination as to whether a permit should issue.
C. 
Application Fee. The applicant shall pay at the time of application a fee to cover the costs of processing the application. The amount of the processing fee shall be established by city council resolution.
D. 
Supplemental City Services. The city manager or designee shall determine whether and to what extent additional city services (such as police protection, traffic control, area clean-up) are reasonably necessary in response to the proposed group use. The city manager shall base this decision on the size, location, duration time and date of the proposed use. The speech content of the group use shall not be a factor in determining the amount of additional services necessary. If supplemental services are deemed necessary by the city manager or designee, the applicant shall be conditioned to make a cash deposit with the city to cover the cost of providing the supplemental services. Group use conducted solely for the purpose of public issue speech protected under the First Amendment shall not be conditioned to pay for any additional public safety services.
E. 
Standards for Issuance of Permit. The city manager or designee shall issue a permit as provided for herein, when, based upon the application and such other information as may otherwise be obtained, the city manager or designee finds:
1. 
The proposed group use will not substantially interfere or prevent the safe and orderly use of the park by persons other than those attending the group gathering;
2. 
The proposed group use will not require the diversion of so great a number of city police and fire personnel as to prevent the normal police and fire protection of the city;
3. 
The proposed group use will not unduly interfere with the proper fire and police protection of, or ambulance service to, areas contiguous to the portion of the park to be used by the group;
4. 
The proposed group use is not reasonably likely to cause injury to persons or property;
5. 
The applicant has secured and paid any required deposit for the necessary supplemental city services required by subsection D of this section;
6. 
The proposed group use is not for the primary purpose of advertising any product, goods or event that is primarily for private profit; and
7. 
No permit for group use at the same date, time, and location has already been granted or has been received and will be granted.
F. 
Notice of Denial of Application. The city manager or designee shall act promptly upon a timely filed application. Notification of permit issuance or denial shall be made no later than forty-eight hours before the group use is to commence.
G. 
Appeal Procedure. Any applicant shall have the right to appeal the denial or conditional approval of a group use permit. The applicant shall make the appeal within five days of the receipt of the denial or conditional approval by filing a written notice with the city clerk with a copy to the city manager or designee. The city council shall act upon the appeal at the next scheduled meeting of the city council following receipt of the notice of appeal.
H. 
Contents of Permit. The group use permit shall state the following information:
1. 
The date, and starting and ending times of the group use;
2. 
The location within the park of the group use;
3. 
Conditions of approval; and
4. 
Any other information as the city manager or designee shall find necessary for the enforcement of the group use requirements.
I. 
Duties of Permittee. The permittee shall comply with all conditions and with all applicable laws, and shall carry the permit upon his or her person during the conduct of the group.
J. 
Permit Revocation. The city manager or designee or any law enforcement officer shall have the authority to revoke a group use permit immediately upon violation of the conditions of approval, the violation of any city ordinance, or in the event of an emergency requiring the deployment of police and fire resources otherwise needed for the group use.
(Ord. 757 § 1, 2001; Ord. 1058 § 1, 2013)
Any person found to be in violation of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of an infraction as set forth in Chapter 14.100.
(Ord. 1058 § 1, 2013)