Stanton Municipal Code Ch. 14.04 Park and Playground Use

No person shall dump, deposit, or leave any bottles, broken glass, ashes, paper boxes, cans, dirt, or other waste, garbage, refuse, rubbish, or trash in or upon any public park or playground except in appropriate receptacles provided therefor.

(Prior code § 14.04.010)

No person shall sell, expose, or offer for sale any goods, wares or merchandise within any public park or playground or upon any public street, sidewalk, or thoroughfare within two hundred feet thereof.

(Prior code § 14.04.020)

No person shall park, stand, stop, keep, or expose for hire any wagon, carriage, horse, automobile, or other vehicle or animal within any park or playground or upon any public street, sidewalk, or thoroughfare within two hundred feet thereof.

(Prior code § 14.04.030)

No person shall park or drive a vehicle within a public park, playground or the civic center other than in areas specifically designated for such use. The operation of all vehicles shall be in accordance with posted directions or by following instructions of authorized attendants who may be present.

(Prior code § 14.04.040; amended during 1980 recodification)

A. Unless otherwise exempt under Section 10.38.040, no person shall ride a horse, bicycle, including electric bicycles, motorcycle, mini-bike, automobile, or other vehicle, motorized wheeled conveyance, or animal within a park or playground.

B. Notwithstanding subsection A above, bicycles (excluding electric bicycles) may be ridden on any road or path designated for such purposes and may be wheeled or pushed by hand over any grass area or trail reserved for pedestrian use within a park or playground.

C. For purposes of this section, the terms "electric bicycle" and "motorized wheeled conveyance" shall have the same meaning as set forth in Section 10.38.020 of this code and "park" shall have the same meaning as set forth in Section 14.04.075 of this chapter.

(Prior code § 14.04.050; Ord. 1165, 10/28/2025)

No person shall consume any alcoholic beverage or have in their possession any open can, bottle or other receptacle containing any alcoholic beverage, within any public park or playground. Any exception to this section, definitions and penalties for a violation, shall be in accordance with the terms of Section 9.04.010.

(Prior code § 14.04.070; Ord. 889 § 2, 2004)

A. Purpose. The purpose of this section is to prohibit the smoking of tobacco products and other substances within the boundaries of any public park, playground, and outdoor recreational area.

B. Definitions.

"Electronic smoking device"

means an electronic and/or battery-operated device that can be used to deliver an inhaled dose of nicotine, or any other substance, including any component, part, or accessory of such a device, whether or not sold separately. "Electronic smoking device" includes any such device, whether manufactured, distributed, marketed, or sold as an electronic cigarette, an electronic cigar, an electronic cigarillo, an electronic pipe, an electronic hookah, or any other product name or descriptor.

"Park"

means any public park or recreation or playground areas, or building or facility thereon within the city of Stanton, owned or maintained by the city as a public park or recreation or playground area, whether or not such area(s) have been formally dedicated to such purpose.

"Recreational area"

means any area that is publicly or privately owned, controlled, or used by the city and open to the public for recreational purposes, regardless of any fee or age requirement, including, but not limited to, parks, picnic areas, playgrounds, gardens, athletic fields, trails, bike paths, sports facilities, skateboard parks, stadiums, and other open spaces.

"Smoke"

means the gases, particles, or vapors released into the air as a result of combustion, electrical ignition, or vaporization, when the apparent or usual purpose of the combustion, electrical ignition, or vaporization is human inhalation of the byproducts, except when the combusting or vaporizing material contains no tobacco, nicotine, marijuana, cannabis, cocaine, or heroin and the purpose of inhalation is solely olfactory, such as, for example, smoke from incense. The term "smoke" includes, but is not limited to, tobacco smoke, electronic smoking device vapors, marijuana or cannabis smoke, crack cocaine or heroin smoke.

"Smoking"

means the release of gases, particles, or vapors into the air as the result of combustion electrical ignition, or vaporization and/or inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying any lighted, heated, or ignited cigar, cigarette, cigarillo, pipe, hookah, electronic smoking device, or any plant product, including, but not limited to, tobacco and marijuana, intended for human inhalation.

"Tobacco product"

means:

Any product containing, made, or derived from tobacco or nicotine that is intended for human consumption, whether smoked, heated, chewed, absorbed, dissolved, inhaled, snorted, sniffed, or ingested by any other means, including, but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, little cigars, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco, snuff; and

Any electronic smoking device.

C. Smoking Prohibited. In addition to all places where smoking is prohibited under state or federal law, smoking shall be prohibited in all parks and recreational areas. No person shall smoke or use any tobacco product in any park or recreational area.

D. Penalties.

1. Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of an infraction pursuant to Chapter 1.10 of the Stanton Municipal Code and shall be punished by a fine not to exceed one hundred dollars.

2. The remedies provided by this section are cumulative and in addition to any other remedies available to the city at law or in equity.

(Ord. 1081 § 2, 2018)

No person shall bring, possess, or discharge any firearm, slingshot, airgun, bow and arrow, firecrackers, rockets, torpedoes, or other fireworks, or weapons within any public park or playground.

(Prior code § 14.04.080)

No person shall make or kindle a fire in any public park or playground except in designated picnic stoves, braziers, or fire pits provided for such purposes.

(Prior code § 14.04.090)

No person shall sleep, camp, lodge, or stay overnight within any public park or playground; provided, however, that bona fide youth groups such as the Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, Boys' Clubs of America, etc., may camp overnight in such parks or playgrounds upon securing a permit therefor from the city council.

(Prior code § 14.04.100)

No person shall eat, cook, serve, or prepare any food within a public park or playground except within the designated picnic areas provided for such uses.

(Prior code § 14.04.110)

No person shall play at or engage in baseball, volleyball, soccer, football, or other athletic games or events within any public park or playground except within designated areas provided for such activities.

(Prior code § 14.04.120)

No person shall play or bet at or against any game which is played, conducted, dealt, or carried on with dice, cards, or other devices for money, chips, shells, credit, or any other representative of value, or to maintain or exhibit any gambling table or device within any public park or playground.

(Prior code § 14.04.130)

The hours that park and recreational facilities are open for use by the public shall be established by the director of parks and recreation. The director shall cause the hours to be posted at the park or recreational facility and shall cause a list of such hours to be maintained on file in the office of the city clerk.

(Ord. 701 § 2, 1990; Ord. 744 § 2, 1993; Ord. 942 § 2, 2007)

No person shall enter or remain in any park or recreational facility in the city at any time during the hours when the park or recreational facility is closed to the public pursuant to Section 14.04.140.

(Ord. 701 § 2, 1990; Ord. 744 § 2, 1993)

A. Purpose. The purpose of this section is to ensure that the public has fair access to the city's park and the facilities therein, and to ensure that the park and its facilities are maintained in good working condition. To achieve these purposes, persons may reserve any area of the park for their exclusive use for limited periods of time, and the use of park facilities will require a reservation and the payment of a fee.

B. Definitions.

"City"

means the city of Stanton.

"Designated parks"

means parks that have been designated by city council resolution as requiring reservations for the use of park facilities therein.

"Director"

means the director of community services of the city of Stanton, or his/her designee.

"Park area"

means any designated area in any city park other than park facilities.

"Park facility"

means any structure, installation, equipment or designated recreational area such as a picnic shelter, baseball field, barbeque or similar area located within any city park, and which is owned, leased, operated or maintained by the city.

"Park"

means any land that is owned, leased, operated or maintained before or after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this section by the city of Stanton and that is held as a park or recreation area.

"Permittee"

means the person to whom a permit is issued. Permittee shall include any member of the group, entity, corporation, association, etc. for which the permit was obtained.

"Person"

means an individual; a person may also be a group, entity, corporation, association, etc. or its agent, employee, or representative.

"Stored personal property"

means personal property that is left in any public area lacking a guard, escort, caretaker, or other watcher.

"Trespass notice"

means a written notice issued by city staff or a peace officer to any person found to be occupying park facilities without having obtained a reservation, indicating that the person's presence at park facilities without a reservation is unlawful, and requiring that the person vacate the park facility immediately.

C. Park Area Reservations. Any person may reserve certain defined areas within the parks for exclusive use at stated dates and times. Upon compliance with the terms of the established reservation system, the director shall issue a written permit setting forth the area or facility to be used and the dates and hours during which the permit is valid.

D. Reservation Required for Use of Park Facilities at Designated Parks.

1. All persons using park facilities at designated parks shall, prior to such use, pay such fees and deposits as may be established by resolution of the city council and thereby obtain a reservation for the park facility for a certain date and time period.

2. It is unlawful for any person to occupy, use, or store personal property in park facilities at designated parks without having obtained a reservation. Each person seeking to reserve park facilities at designated parks for such purposes will be required to present a current form of identification upon the payment of fees.

3. No person shall occupy a park facility within a designated park, or use or store personal property in a park facility within a designated park, at any time other than the date and time on that person's reservation.

E. Reservations Available for Park Facilities at Nondesignated Parks.

1. Any person wishing to reserve a park facility in a nondesignated park prior to such use must pay such fees and deposits as may be established by resolution of the city council and thereby obtain a reservation for the park facility for a certain date and time period.

2. No person other than the permittee shall intrude upon or use the area or facilities designated in the permit, nor shall any person interfere with the use of such area or facilities by permitted individuals or groups, during the time stated in the permit.

F. The permittee shall keep the permit on his or her person at all times during the course of the described event(s) and shall upon request display same to a city of Stanton police officer or enforcement personnel.

G. Signage. The city shall provide signage at park facilities in designated parks that shall only be available pursuant to reservation and payment of a fee.

H. Penalties.

1. Designated Parks.

a. Any person who occupies or uses a park facility, or stores personal property in a park facility, without having first obtained a reservation, may be punished by civil fine in an amount approved by the city council.

b. Any person who is found to be occupying a park facility, or storing personal property in a park facility, without having obtained a reservation, shall be issued a trespass notice, and shall be required to vacate the park facility. A refusal to vacate the park facility after being issued a trespass notice is unlawful and shall constitute a misdemeanor.

2. Nondesignated Parks. Any person who is found to be occupying a park area, or storing personal property in a park area, during the time and date that a permit has issued to another person, shall be issued a trespass notice, and shall be required to vacate the park area and not return until after the expiration of the permit. A refusal to vacate the park area after being issued a trespass notice is unlawful and shall constitute a misdemeanor.

3. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect, supersede or otherwise prevent private causes of action for trespass or other public civil, penal or administrative prosecution for trespass or maintaining a nuisance under state or local statute or ordinance.

(Ord. 1015 § 2, 2013)