Exciting enhancements are coming soon to eCode360! Learn more 🡪
City of St. Francis, WI
Milwaukee County
By using eCode360 you agree to be legally bound by the Terms of Use. If you do not agree to the Terms of Use, please do not use eCode360.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of St. Francis as Ch. 19 of the 1981 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Amusements and amusement devices — See Ch. 175.
Parades and runs — See Ch. 329.
Swimming pools — See Ch. 407.
Chapter 47 of the Milwaukee County Ordinances pertaining to the rules and regulations governing parks and parkways under the jurisdiction of the Milwaukee County Park Commission, including violations, is fully adopted by reference and made a part of this chapter as though fully set forth herein.
The City Park Commission, as established in Chapter 17 of this Code, shall have jurisdiction over all parks, parkways, tot lots or other municipal areas available for public use. The Commission shall have the authority to make rules and regulations governing the use of such areas, which shall have the same force and effect as an ordinance of the City.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
PARK COMMISSION; COMMISSION
The St. Francis Park Commission.
PARK; PARKWAY
Unless otherwise stated, shall include the grounds, buildings thereon, waters therein, and any other property which is now or may hereafter be under the control or jurisdiction of the St. Francis Park Commission.
PERSON
Includes any individual, firm, partnership, corporation and association of persons, and the singular number shall include the plural.
A. 
Public meetings, etc.; permit. All public meetings, assemblies, entertainments, tournaments or public discussion on any subject, religious, social, political, or otherwise, is prohibited within the limits of any park or parkway, except when a written permit of the Park Commission has first been granted and then only in areas designated as assembly areas by the Park Commission. No military or other parade or procession or funeral shall take place in or pass through the limits of any park or parkway except upon written permit of the Park Commission.
B. 
Public speeches; public music; permit required. No person shall use any loudspeaker or other amplifying equipment, nor shall any person publicly play any music or play any musical instrument in any park or parkway, without the written permit of the Park Commission.
C. 
Auto radios; loudness prohibited. Auto radios must be turned low at all times so as not to be heard from a distance beyond 20 feet from the instrument.
D. 
Interference with permittees prohibited. No person shall be allowed within the limits of any park or parkway of the City of St. Francis in those areas designated by the Park Commission as assembly areas, but only with written permission of the Park Commission.
A. 
Prohibited except in designated areas. No person shall engage in any sport, game, race or amusement in any park or parkway except upon such portions thereof as may be designated for that purpose, and then only under such rules and regulations as may be established by the Park Commission.
B. 
Permits for exclusive use; interference with prohibited. Permits for the exclusive use of any picnic or play area for any specified date or time may be granted at the discretion of the Park Commission, and no person shall in any manner disturb or interfere with any person or party occupying the ground under such a permit nor with any of his or its equipment or property.
No person shall sell, keep or offer for sale any tangible or intangible article, merchandise, or thing, nor solicit for any trade, occupation, business or profession or for alms, within any park or parkway without the written permit of the Park Commission.
A. 
Use of firearms and fireworks; hunting with bow and arrow; trapping. No person shall carry, fire, or discharge any gun, pistol, or firearm, nor any rocket, torpedo or other fireworks of any description, nor shall any person engage in trapping within any park or parkway without a written permit of the Park Commission, nor shall any person hunt with bow and arrow within any park or parkway. The word "gun" shall include air gun.
B. 
Throwing of stones or missiles. No person shall throw stones or missiles in or into any park or parkway.
C. 
Making of fires. No person shall make or kindle a fire for any purpose except in places provided therefor, and then subject to such regulations as may be prescribed.
D. 
Deposit of tin cans, bottles and glassware forbidden except in waste container; removal of broken tin cans, bottles or glassware.
(1) 
No person shall deposit any tin cans, bottles, or other glassware after the same have been used in any place in a park or parkway, except in a waste container.
(2) 
Any person who breaks a bottle or other glassware in any park or parkway shall immediately pick up the broken pieces and remove the same to a park waste container.
A. 
Disturbance of animals on exhibition. No person shall injure, molest, or disturb any animal exhibited in the zoological garden or in any other area of the park or parkway, nor feed or attempt to feed the same where posted rules prohibit such conduct.
B. 
Animals not allowed in parks; exception. No animal, except those placed in the park, parkways or tot lots by the authority of the Park Commission, and excepting horses when saddled or harnessed and in use for riding or pleasure, driving only on roadways or paths duly designated, and except dogs on leash, as regulated by Subsection C hereof, shall be conducted into or driven within the parks or parkways or be allowed to remain therein. This, however, does not apply to animals engaged in the construction, maintenance, or operation of the parks and parkways.
C. 
Dogs prohibited in certain areas otherwise permitted only when on leash. No person having the control or care of a dog shall suffer or permit such dog to enter or remain in a public park or parkway unless it is led by a leash of suitable strength not more than six feet in length, and then only within such areas in the parks as have been designated by order of the Park Commission. The Park Commission shall cause signs to be posted in areas wherein dogs are not permitted.
D. 
Impounding of dogs. Dogs found running at large within any park or parkway may be impounded by any peace officer or by any employee of the Park Commission.
No one shall kill, injure, or attempt to injure or unnecessarily disturb any waterfowl or other birds or animals, wild or domestic, within any of the parks or parkways, nor shall any person rob or disturb the nest or eggs of any bird or other animal therein.
A. 
Destruction of property.
(1) 
No person shall climb any tree, or pluck any flowers or fruit, wild or cultivated, or break, cut down, trample upon, remove, or in any manner injure or deface, write upon, defile or ill use any tree, shrub, flower, flower bed, turf, fountain, ornament, statue, building, fence, apparatus, bench, table, official notice, sign, bridge, structure, or other property within any park or parkway.
(2) 
No person in any park or parkway shall remove any device for the protection of trees or shrubs, nor shall any such person fasten a horse or other animal next to any tree, shrub, or grass plot which may become damaged by the action of the animal.
B. 
Removal of ice or sand prohibited. No person shall remove any sand from any park or any shore within a park without a written permit of the Park Commission.
No person shall ascend or land with any aircraft, including gliders and parachutes, nor engage in stunt flying or parachute landing in any park or parkway without the written permit of the Park Commission.
A. 
Driving confined to regular drives and parking areas. No person shall operate or drive any motor vehicle or other vehicle of traffic or burden upon any part of the parks or parkways except roads, driveways, parking areas or other areas which have been designated by the Park Commission for vehicular travel.
B. 
Vehicles for hire not to stand in parks; exception. No person shall cause any taxi, bus, limousine, or other vehicle for hire to stand upon any part of the parks or parkways for the purpose of soliciting or taking in passengers or persons other than those carried to the parks or parkways by said vehicle, unless licensed by the Park Commission.
C. 
Use of parks by certain vehicles prohibited. No person shall cause any bus, with or without passengers, nor any cart, dray, wagon, truck, or trailer, or other vehicle carrying goods, merchandise, manure, soil, or any other articles, or solely in use for the carriage of goods, merchandise, manure, or other articles, to enter or be driven in any part of the parks or parkways. This section shall not apply to vehicles engaged in the construction, maintenance, or operation of the parks or parkways, to vehicles making deliveries to the parks or parkways, or to buses under permit of the Park Commission.
D. 
Duty of vehicle operators to comply with traffic codes. It shall be the duty of every person operating an automobile, motorcycle, or other vehicle of traffic or burden within the parks or parkways to comply with the state, county and municipal traffic codes and with all orders, directions, and regulations of traffic officers or officially displayed on any post, standard, sign, or device installed for the regulation of traffic.
E. 
Speed of vehicles. No vehicle shall be operated on any road or drive in any park or parkway exceeding 10 miles per hour.
F. 
Parking prohibited in specific areas during specific hours. No person shall park any vehicle or permit any vehicle to remain standing on any highway or roadway within the boundaries of parks and parkways as hereinafter designated in excess of the length of time and between the hours as hereinafter specified in this subsection. No parking shall be allowed on any of the park or parkway roads during the hours from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. except by permit issued by Park Commission.
G. 
Definition of terms. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meaning indicated:
MOTOR GO-KART
A motor vehicle propelled by a cycle-type gasoline engine or engines, designed to travel on three or more wheels, with a seat for the driver and not exceeding 300 pounds net weight.
MOTOR VEHICLE
A vehicle which is self-propelled.
PARKING
The standing of any motor vehicle or other vehicle of traffic or burden, whether attended or unattended, upon any highway otherwise than temporarily or while actually engaged in loading or unloading or in receiving or discharging passengers or while standing in obedience to traffic regulations or traffic signals.
H. 
Posting of signs. The City Park Commission shall erect suitable signs on all highways hereinabove restricted as to parking, which signs shall indicate the limitation of no parking and shall indicate that no parking shall be allowed at any time.
I. 
Parking area to be used for parking purposes only. No person shall operate a motor or drive any motor vehicle in any area designated for the parking of vehicles for the purposes of parking therein or of maintaining such area.
J. 
Operation of motor go-karts prohibited in parks. No person shall operate a motor go-kart upon any part of the parks of parkways except in areas which have been designated by the Park Commission for the operation of motor go-karts.
A. 
Definition. "Snowmobile" means a motor-driven vehicle designed to travel over a snow surface with an operator or an operator and one or more passengers. Such vehicle shall derive traction from a continuous track-laying device, the periphery of which shall be rubber or metal-reinforced rubber but shall not include any block, studs, flange, spike or other protuberance. The term "snowmobile" shall not mean a vehicle driven by an airplane propeller or a vehicle driven by wind action and specifically designed for ice sailing.
B. 
Permit required. No person shall operate a privately owned snowmobile without first obtaining a permit from the Park Commission.
C. 
Areas designated. No person shall operate a snowmobile upon any part of the park or parkway except in areas which have been designated by the Park Commission for operation of snowmobiles.
D. 
Hours restricted. No person shall operate a snowmobile in any park or parkway before 8:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m.
E. 
Reckless operation. No person shall operate a snowmobile in a reckless manner.
F. 
Rules. Persons operating snowmobiles shall comply with all Park Commission rules.
Riders of bicycles shall comply with the rules for the regulation of other vehicles, as stated in § 332-12, and in addition thereto shall be subject to the following regulations:
A. 
No person shall ride a bicycle upon the lawns, walks, or foot trails in the parks or parkways.
B. 
Riders shall proceed in the extreme right-hand lane of the drives at all times, in single file only.
C. 
Riding crosswise and curving to and fro are strictly prohibited.
D. 
No rider shall take both hands off the handles or ride recklessly in any other manner.
E. 
A bicycle shall not be towed by a rope or otherwise, nor shall any rider hold onto any moving vehicle for the purpose of being drawn along.
F. 
No bicycle shall be pushed upon any park or parkway drive where an adjoining foot walk is available.
G. 
Infants, children, or extra passengers shall not be carried on bicycles in any manner whatsoever.
H. 
Children riding small bicycles, wheels less than 20 inches in diameter, may use the foot walks.
I. 
Wherever possible, bicycles shall be parked in places provided for such purpose.
A. 
Disorderly conduct. No person shall use threatening, abusive, insulting, profane, or indecent language, nor be guilty of conduct that is abusive, insulting, obscene, indecent, or constitutes a breach of the peace.
B. 
Person guilty of disorderly conduct to be removed. No person violating any of the prohibitions enumerated in Subsection A of this section shall be allowed to remain in any park or parkway.
C. 
Smoking; when prohibited.
(1) 
No person shall be permitted to smoke or to hold a lighted cigarette, cigar, or pipe in any building where domestic or wild animals are exhibited, nor in any building or section of a building, or in any park or parkway area where officially posted notices so prohibit.
(2) 
Dropping lighted cigar, etc., on roadway. No person shall throw or drop a lighted cigar or cigarette stub or empty a lighted pipe from an automobile moving along a park or parkway drive.
No person shall bring into or drink any spirituous, vinous, malt or mixed liquors in any park or parkway, except in such areas as designated by the Park Commission, and except at such places as beverages are sold by licensees of the Commission.
No person shall sleep or camp or lodge in any park or parkway except in such places as designated for such purposes as overnight or tourist or trailer camps, and then only subject to the rules and regulations of the Park Commission governing the use of such areas.
No person shall interfere with or in any manner hinder any employee of the Park Commission, nor any employee of a contractor while engaged in constructing, repairing, or caring for any portion of the parks or parkways, or while in the discharge of the duties conferred by this chapter.
A. 
Except for vehicular traffic moving through the streets or roadways, and except when the Commission publishes general permission to use all of certain parks or parkways upon summer nights, the parks and parkways shall be closed each night between the hours of 12:00 midnight and sunrise the following morning, and no person shall remain therein during said hours, provided that the Park Commission may from time to time, in all or any of the parks or parkways, publish or post closing hours different from the above, or discontinue closing hours, as in the exercise of the judgment of the Commission may appear reasonable and necessary.
B. 
Memorial Park. The St. Francis Memorial Park shall be closed during hours of darkness, as defined by § 340.01, Wis. Stats., as it may be amended from time to time, except when otherwise stated or extended by permit.
All permits shall be issued by a duly authorized employee of the Park Commission in writing and subject to park rules and regulations. The persons to whom such permits have been granted shall be bound by said rules and regulations as fully as though the same were inserted in said permits, and any person or persons to whom such permits have been granted shall be liable for any loss, damage or injury sustained by the Park Commission or by any person by reason of the negligence of the person or persons to whom such permits have been granted, their servants or agents.
A. 
The fees for permits to use City park facilities, including kitchen facilities, are as provided by the current fee schedule on file with the City Clerk.
B. 
Deposit required for proper cleanup: $50. If the area is properly cleaned after the permittee is done, such deposit may be refunded in part or whole.
C. 
This section applies to all City-owned land, including but not limited to all parks and cemeteries under the control of the City. If such area is to be used for civic purposes, the Common Council may waive the fees required herein.
[Added 9-20-2005 by Ord. No. 1198]
Application for a permit for use of City parks is to include information for any tent proposed to be erected.
A. 
Information shall include the following:
(1) 
Size and number of tents.
(2) 
Location of tents on supplied map of park.
(3) 
Name, address, and phone number of company or individual that owns or will erect tents.
(4) 
Certification of flame-resistant treatment to be submitted.
B. 
Requirements at site for erection of tent or canopies.
(1) 
Call Diggers Hotline prior to erecting tent.
(2) 
Provide fire extinguishers such that the distance to any extinguisher from any location in the tent does not exceed 75 feet.
(3) 
Provide "No Smoking" signs in tent.
(4) 
Provide proper exit aisles and exit lights if required.
Any peace officer of the City, Milwaukee County, or any other municipal subdivision may without a warrant arrest any offender whom he may detect in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter and take the person so arrested forthwith before a magistrate having competent jurisdiction, and he shall have at all times the right to enter the premises of any building, structure, or enclosure in any park or parkway, including such grounds, building, structure, or enclosures which may be leased or set aside for private or exclusive use of any individual or group of individuals, for the purpose of arresting violators hereof and may use all necessary means to attain that end.
Any person who shall violate any provision of this chapter or any order, rule or regulation made hereunder shall be subject to a penalty as provided in § 1-4 of this Code, unless otherwise provided for herein.