Lodi Municipal Code Art. II General Rules

The Director may designate in writing and by posting at the site, certain Recreational Areas or portions thereof, which are available for exclusive use only upon obtaining a Park Permit pursuant to Section 12.16.130.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

Any person who violates any provision of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor, unless otherwise specified, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not exceeding the maximum prescribed by law.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

A. Animals Prohibited. Notwithstanding subsection B of this section, no person having care or custody of a dog or other domestic animal shall allow such animal in any Recreational Area, whether restrained or at large. For purposes of this section, an animal is "at large" unless tied, restrained by chain, strap or cord attached to its collar and actually held by some person or tied or restrained in an automobile or other vehicle, or unless staked or fastened or kept securely in an enclosure. This section shall not apply to dogs used by public law enforcement agencies, Service Animals, or to animals in parking lots or walkways adjacent to Recreational Areas.

B. Exceptions. The Director shall be authorized to designate, by appropriate signs, specified Recreational Areas, or portions of Recreational Areas in which it shall be permissible to allow dogs to be present without leashes or other restraints. The owner or handler of any dog present in such designated Recreational Areas shall be required upon request to present proof of a current rabies vaccination and licensing for such animal.

C. Cleanup Required. It shall be the duty of any person having care or custody of any animal in a Recreational Area to clean up after such animal. All waste shall be collected by such persons and deposited in an appropriate receptacle or container.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall solicit alms or contributions for any purpose, whether public or private, without the explicit consent of the Director.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall build or attempt to build a fire except in such areas and under such regulations as may be designated by the Director. No person shall drop, throw or otherwise scatter lighted matches, burning cigarettes or cigars, tobacco paper or other flammable material within any Recreational Area or on any highway, road or street abutting or contiguous thereto.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

The Director may designate, by appropriate signs, those Recreational Areas in which it shall be illegal to utilize or possess glass bottles or similar containers, alcoholic beverages and/or tobacco products of any nature. In such posted facilities, it is unlawful for any person to have in his or her possession any bottle or similar glass container or to possess or consume any alcoholic beverage or to smoke or otherwise use tobacco products.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

A. No person shall be present in any recreational area during the days and hours that such recreational area is designated by the director as closed. Such days and hours shall be posted on signs at the entrances to such recreational area.

B. Further, no person shall enter or be in an area posted as "Closed to the Public," or any fenced recreational area in which the entry gates are locked, nor shall any person use, camp, possess camp paraphernalia, maintain any encampment, aid or abet the use of any such area in violation of this chapter or the posted notices.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018; Ord. No. 2028, § 6, 12-18-2024)

No person shall be present on any schoolyard or park within ten feet of the field of play of any field being used by a Department affiliated youth program for play, practice, or a game unless that person:

A. Is a city approved volunteer or employee who has received Department of Justice fingerprint clearance; or

B. Is a youth member of the team and/or program.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

A. No person in a recreational area shall engage in any commercial activity in a recreational area as defined in Section 12.12.010 without a park permit issued by the director or his/her designee as specified in Section 12.16.130. Such prohibition shall include sales activities that encroach on the sales rights of a vendor authorized to sell such products or services pursuant to a concession contract with the department.

B. Commercial activities, as defined in Section 12.12.010, are prohibited at Lodi Lake Park, except for those by a licensed concessionaire acting by and under the authority of the director, those associated with a rental of a Lodi Lake Park facility with department permission, or photographers who have obtained a park permit from the department.

C. Commercial activities, as defined in Section 12.12.010, are prohibited in all recreational areas on weekends and city holidays except for those made by a licensed concessionaire acting by and under the authority of the director, those associated with a park facility rental with department permission, or photographers who have obtained a park permit from the department.

D. The provisions of this section do not apply to persons engaged in vending activity pursuant to Chapter 9.19 of this code.

(Ord. No. 1960, § 3, 11-7-2018; Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall announce, advertise or call the public attention in any way to any article or service for sale or hire.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall paste, glue, tack or otherwise post any sign, placard, advertisement or inscription whatever, nor shall any person erect or cause to be erected any sign whatever on any public lands or highways or roads adjacent to a Recreational Area, except for Department employees acting in the course and scope of their duties.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall willfully mark, deface, disfigure, injure, tamper with or displace or remove any building, bridges, tables, benches, fireplaces, railings, paving or paving materials, water lines or other public utilities or parts or appurtenances thereof, signs, notices or placards, whether temporary or permanent, monuments, stakes, posts or other boundary markers, or other structures or equipment, facilities or park property or appurtenances whatsoever, either real or personal.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall dig or remove any beach sand, whether submerged or not, or any soil, rock, stones, trees, shrubs or plants, downed timber or other wood or materials, or make any excavation by tool, equipment, blasting or other means or agency.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall damage, cut, carve, transplant or remove any tree or plant or injure the bark or pick the flowers or seeds of any tree or plant, nor shall any person attach any rope, wire or other contrivance to any tree or plant. A person shall not dig in or otherwise disturb grass areas, or in any other way injure or impair the natural beauty or usefulness of any Recreational Area.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall climb any tree or wall, stand or sit upon monuments, vases, fountains, railings or fences or upon any other property not designated or customarily used for such purposes.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall hunt, molest, harm, frighten, kill, trap, chase, tease, shoot or throw missiles at any animal or bird, nor shall he remove or have in his possession the young of any wild animal, or the eggs or nest or young of any bird.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall give or offer, or attempt to give to any animal or bird any tobacco, alcohol or other known noxious substances.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a park shall swim, bathe and/or wade in any waters or waterway in or adjacent to any Recreational Area, except in areas which have been designated by the Director as areas where the activity is allowed. The areas where swimming, bathing and/or wading is allowed shall have official signs erected, designating the areas, and giving notice that the activity is allowed.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall swim, bathe, wade, or water ski in any waters or waterways in or adjacent to any Recreational Area, except in such waters and at such places as are provided therefor, and in compliance with such regulations as are set forth in this chapter or may be adopted, nor shall any person frequent any waters or places customarily designated for the purpose of swimming, bathing or waterskiing, or congregate thereat when such activity is prohibited by the Director upon a finding that such use of the water would be dangerous or otherwise inadvisable.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall frequent any waters or places designated for the purpose of swimming or bathing, or congregate thereat, except between such hours of the day as are designated by the Director for such purposes for each individual area.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a recreational area shall camp, erect, maintain, use or occupy any tent, encampment, shelter or structure of any kind unless there is an unobstructed view into such tent, shelter or structure from at least three sides; nor shall any guy wire, rope or extension, or exterior brace or support, be connected or fastened from any such structure to any other structure, stake, rock or other object outside of the structure. The director may issue a written permit to allow the use of structures as set forth in Section 12.16.100. Issuance of a permit is in the sole discretion of the director subject to appeal to the city manager as set forth in Section 12.16.150.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018; Ord. No. 2028, § 7, 12-18-2024)

No person in a Recreational Area shall bring into or operate any boat, raft or other watercraft, whether motor-powered or not, upon any waters, except at places designated for boating by the Director. Such activity shall be in accordance with applicable regulations as of the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter or may thereafter be adopted.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall navigate, direct or handle any boat in such a manner as to unjustifiably or unnecessarily annoy or frighten or endanger the occupants of any other boat.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall launch, dock or operate any boat of any kind on any waters between the closing hour of the park at night and opening hour the following morning, nor shall any person be on, or remain on or in any boat during the closed hours of the Recreational Area, except as otherwise authorized by the Director.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall picnic or lunch in a place other than those designated for that purpose. Attendants shall have the authority to regulate the activities in such areas when necessary to prevent congestion and to secure the maximum use for the comfort and convenience of all. Visitors shall comply with any directions given to achieve this end.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall violate the regulation that use of the individual fireplaces together with tables and benches follows generally the rule of "First come, first served."

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall use any portion of the picnic areas or of any of the buildings or structures therein for the purpose of holding picnics to the exclusion of other persons, nor shall any person use such area and facilities for an unreasonable time if the facilities are crowded.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person in a Recreational Area shall leave a picnic area before the fire is completely extinguished and before all trash in the nature of boxes, papers, cans, bottles, garbage and other refuse is placed in the disposal receptacles where provided. If no such trash receptacles are available, then refuse and trash shall be carried away from the park area by the picnicker to be properly disposed of elsewhere.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

A. No person in a Recreational Area shall take part in or abet the playing of any games involving thrown or otherwise propelled objects such as balls, stones, arrows, javelins or model airplanes except in areas set apart for such forms of recreation. The playing of rough or comparatively dangerous games such as football, baseball and quoits is prohibited except on the fields and courts or areas provided therefor. Roller skating shall be confined to those areas specifically designated for that pastime.

B. No person shall play or engage in any activity other than tennis or ancillary activities prior to playing tennis on park tennis courts without the Director's express permission.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

No person shall, within the nature area of Lodi Lake Park:

A. Ride, walk or operate any bicycle, tricycle, or similar human-powered conveyance, except upon the main trails, as designated by appropriate signs indicating bicycles are permitted. This section shall not apply to any law enforcement or parks department employee while carrying out his or her official duties, or any person with a physical disability;

B. Conduct or participate in any organized track and field or athletic event, without first obtaining written consent of the director. As a matter of city policy to prevent overuse of and damage to the nature area, such consent shall be given only for cross country events and only to those organizations that had conducted cross country events in the nature area during the twelve-month period immediately prior to April 1, 1991. In the event any organization qualifying for cross country events under this section shall fail to conduct a cross country event during any twelve-month period, consent shall be denied thereafter; or

C. Camp, store camp paraphernalia, or maintain an encampment in or upon any public property in the Lodi Lake Nature Area, open space, waterway, and banks of a waterway, unless specifically authorized by the city manager.

D. Violation of (A) or (B) of this section shall be an infraction, but section (C) may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor due to increased fire and public health and safety risk caused from illegal camping activities.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018; Ord. No. 2028, § 8, 12-18-2024)

The Director may exclude from any Recreational Area any individual whose presence is detrimental to the enjoyment of the facility by others, or whose conduct is offensive to the public and a nuisance. Such person may appeal his exclusion to the City Manager pursuant to Section 12.16.210 of this Code.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)

A. No person shall place any equipment or object to be used for fitness or athletic activity weighing more than twenty-five (25) pounds within any Recreational Area without prior written authorization by the Director.

B. The Director may authorize the use of equipment excluded under Section A above, with conditions, if he/she determines that the proposed use of such equipment:

1. Will not damage public property;

2. Will not interfere with the public's use and enjoyment of the Recreational Area; and

3. Will not interfere with the normal operations of the Recreational Area.

C. No person shall use picnic tables, barbecues, playground equipment or other Recreational Area amenities except for their intended use.

(Ord. No. 1954, § 1, 7-18-2018)