§ 27-8. Prohibited acts in city parks and facilities.

It shall be unlawful for any person using city parks and facilities to either perform or allow the performance of any of the following acts, unless such activity is authorized, permitted or supervised by the city:

(a)

Damaging property. No person shall willfully mark, deface, damage, displace, remove or tamper with any park or facility buildings, tables, benches, fireplaces, railing, paving or paving materials, water lines or other utilities, permanent or temporary signs, placards or notices, monuments, stakes, posts, boundary markers or other structures, equipment or parks or recreation property.

(b)

Improperly using park structures, equipment and furniture.

(1)

No person over the age of 14 years shall trespass upon or play upon or use the playground equipment at any city park other than those swings and equipment designated for adult use; however, parents, guardians, and other bona fide caretakers over the age of 14 shall have limited access to playground equipment for the purposes of supervising the use of such equipment by children under their care.

(2)

No person shall lie or otherwise be in a horizontal position on a table or bench intended for use by the general public.

(3)

No person may erect signs or affix signs to any tree, post, or park facility or grounds, except for city representatives or other individuals authorized by the city to do so.

(4)

No person may drive, putt, or otherwise hit a golf ball or throw javelins or other missile type objects except in areas specifically designated for such purposes by the city manager.

(5)

No person shall sleep, loiter or prowl in bushes, shrubs, or other foliage located within the parks.

(6)

The city manager may develop and post additional safety rules and regulations particular to each facility.

(c)

Polluting waters. No person shall throw, discharge or otherwise place or cause to be placed in the waters of any fountain, pond or lake or any storm sewer or drain flowing into such waters any substance, matter or things, liquid or solid, which will or may result in the pollution of such waters.

(d)

Damaging plants. No person shall damage, cut, carve, transplant or remove any tree or plant, or grass area, or injure the bark or pick the flowers or seeds of any tree or plant, nor shall any person attach any rope, wire, sign or other contrivance to any tree or plant.

(e)

Harming or molesting animal life. No person shall molest, harm, frighten, kill, trap, hunt, chase, capture, shoot or throw missiles at any mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian; nor shall any person remove or in any way harm the eggs, nest or young of any mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian. Fishing shall be permitted in accordance with section 27-10 of this article.

(f)

Littering. No person shall bring in or dump, deposit or leave any bottles, broken glass, ashes, paper, boxes, cans, dirt, rubbish, waste, garbage, refuse or other litter, or place refuse or litter in any waters in or contiguous to any park or facility, or anywhere on the grounds thereof, except for within those receptacles provided by the city and designated for such purposes.

(g)

Igniting fires. No person shall ignite or attempt to ignite any fire against or on any vegetation or park or facility structure, except in city provided fireplaces or grills when used for cooking. Persons are permitted to use a personal grill of type approved by the parks and recreation department in a designated picnic area; provided that such persons accept responsibility for proper off-site disposal of all charcoal, wood chips or other cooking materials after such use.

(h)

Unauthorized operation of vehicles. No person shall drive or otherwise operate a vehicle in a park or recreation area upon surfaces other than those maintained and open to the public for purposes of vehicular travel, except upon temporary parking areas as may be designated from time to time by the city commission or city manager, and further excepting vehicles in the service of the city, animal control vehicles, law enforcement vehicles, and motorized wheelchairs.

(i)

Possessing or consuming alcoholic beverages. No person shall sell, possess or consume alcoholic beverages, including beer or wine; provided, however, that alcoholic beverages may be permitted by the city manager for special events or within certain designated facilities.

(j)

Fireworks. No person shall possess, carry or ignite fireworks or sparklers in any city park or facility, unless authorized as part of a city sponsored or authorized event such as a Fourth of July celebration or similar community celebration. The terms "fireworks" and "sparklers" shall have the same meaning as such terms are defined by F.S. § 791.01.

(k)

Gambling. No person shall conduct in any city park or facility any card game for money or any other game for money or participate in any form of betting or gambling as defined in Florida Statutes. A drawing for chance conducted by a charitable or non-profit organization may be conducted only in accordance with F.S. § 849.0935.

(l)

Vending, soliciting, advertising, etc. No person shall practice, carry on, conduct or solicit for any occupation, business, or profession in any city park or facility; or sell or offer for sale any food, beverage, merchandise, article, or anything whatsoever in any park or facility. No person shall beg or solicit contributions. This paragraph shall not apply to any person, association, organization, entity or group acting pursuant to a contract with the city or under a special event permit granted by the city.

(m)

Operating amplified sound equipment. No person shall install, use, and operate within a park amplified sound equipment for the purposes of giving instructions, directions, talks, addresses, or lectures, or for transmitting music to any persons or groups of persons in any park, or in the vicinity thereof, except when installed, used, or operated in compliance with a special event permit issued by the city and when operated in accordance with terms of the permit. This paragraph shall not apply to the use of a loudspeaker or other amplified sound equipment that might be used on an athletic field during an athletic competition or other event sponsored by a school or community organization or when amplified sound equipment is authorized by a negotiated agreement with the city.

(n)

Launching or operating aircraft, radio-controlled model airplanes, etc. No person shall launch or operate any aircraft, including but not limited to, hot air balloons, airplanes, ultralights, helicopters and gliders except in areas or at times specifically designated for this purpose by special permit issued by the city manager.

(o)

Camping. No person shall camp in a city park or recreation area except at such times and places as may be designated by the city manager and except pursuant to a special permit issued by the city.

(p)

Erecting structures. No person shall construct or erect any tent, building, shed, shelter or structure of whatever kind, whether permanent or temporary in character, or run or string any public service utility into, upon, or across a city park or recreation area except as authorized by the city manager or his/her designee.

(q)

Endangering the public. No person shall endanger the safety of any person or group by any conduct or act or by any failure to observe the rules established by this article.

(r)

Interfering with use of the park by others. No person or group shall prevent any other person or group from using any park or any of its facilities, or interfere with such use in compliance with this article and with the rules applicable to such use. Conducting activities authorized by a reserved use or special event permit issued pursuant to this article shall not constitute a violation of this section.

(s)

Lewd or lascivious acts and sexual activity. No person shall engage in a lewd or lascivious act or sexual activity in a city park or facility.

(t)

Sanitation. No person shall discharge or otherwise deposit human wastes in a city park or facility, except in appropriate toilet facilities provided by the city for such purposes. Furthermore, no person shall shave or shower in any city park or facility except in appropriate bathing facilities provided by the city for such purposes.

(Ord. No. 12-23, § 1, 5-24-12)