ARTICLE III. USE OF PARKS

90-51 Supervision of public parks.

The supervision of the use and the management of all public parks, squares or places shall be under the director of community and human services. The development and maintenance of all public parks, squares or places shall be under the supervision of the director of public works and service. The director of community and human services and the director of public works and service shall both be subject to this article.

(Code 1985, § 17-1)

90-52 Use of parks.

No person shall enter any park for any purpose except to use such park for park purposes, and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the council.

(Code 1985, § 17-2)

90-53 Hunting prohibited.

No person shall hunt with or without dogs or shoot at any bird or squirrel, rabbit or game of any kind in any park.

(Code 1985, § 17-3)

90-54 Damaging public property; depositing rubbish.

(a)    No person shall willfully destroy or injure any building or structure or destroy, injure, deface or carry away any sign or notice or cut or destroy any tree, bush, shrub or flowers, or destroy, cut or carry away grass or sod in or upon any public park, square or public place.

(b)    No person shall turn or pasture any animal or deposit any dead animal, garbage, excrement or rubbish of any kind in any park, square or public place.

(Code 1985, § 17-4)

90-55 Public meetings and speeches—Permission required.

No public meeting shall be held in any public park, square or place unless permission shall first be obtained from the mayor. No person shall make a public address therein without permission from the mayor.

(Code 1985, § 17-5)

90-56 Same—Standards for granting permission.

(a)    The mayor shall grant permission to hold a public assembly or meeting in the park, squares or other public places when, from a consideration of the application and from such other information as may otherwise be obtained, he finds that:

(1)    The conduct of the address or meeting will not substantially interrupt the safe and orderly movement of other traffic contiguous to its route;

(2)    The conduct of the address or meeting will not require the diversion of so great a number of police officers of the city to properly police the line of movement and the areas contiguous thereto as to prevent normal police protection to the city;

(3)    The conduct of the address or meeting will not require the diversion of so great a number of ambulances as to prevent normal ambulance service to portions of the city other than that to be occupied by the proposed line of march and areas contiguous thereto;

(4)    The concentration of persons, animals and vehicles at assembly points of the meeting or assembly will not unduly interfere with proper fire and police protection of or ambulance service to areas contiguous to such assembly areas; and

(5)    The conduct of the meeting or assembly is not reasonably likely to cause injury to persons or property, to provoke disorderly conduct or create a disturbance or unduly interfere with the use of such park by the general public.

(b)    Without regard to subsection (a) of this section, the mayor may, only from his consideration of available, appropriate and necessary information, deny the application for permission to hold a public address or meeting when, from this information, he has reason to believe that any contemplated advocacy at the proposed event will be directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and will likely incite or produce such action.

(Code 1985, § 17-6)

Decisional law reference—Subversive activities, Brandenburg v. Ohio, 395 U.S. 444 (1969).

90-57 Profanity; disorderly conduct.

(a)    No person shall use any threatening, obscene, profane or indecent language in any public park, place or square.

(b)    No person shall indulge in any disorderly or indecent conduct in any public park, place or square or in any games, acts or demeanor calculating or intending to interfere with the proper enjoyment of other persons who may be visiting such parks, squares or places.

(Code 1985, § 17-7)

90-58 Posting signs; peddling; picnics.

(a)    No person shall post, exhibit or distribute any advertisement matter or handbills in or within 100 feet of any public park or square.

(b)    No person shall engage in peddling or selling of any article in or within 100 feet immediately adjoining any public park, square or place without permission first obtained from the mayor.

(c)    Picnics and social parties may be allowed in such portion of any park or public place as shall be designated and set apart by the director of community and human services.

(Code 1985, § 17-8)

90-59 Rules and regulations.

The council may from time to time make necessary rules and regulations in regard to the use, operation and management of all parks, squares and public places. Such rules and regulations shall have the effect of law and violations thereof shall be punishable as provided in section 1-25.

(Code 1985, § 17-9)

90-60 Closing parks.

In case of any emergency, or where, in the judgment of the council, the public interest demands it, portions or all of the parks may be closed to the public. All persons shall be excluded from such parks or portions thereof until permission is given to return.

(Code 1985, § 17-10)

90-61 Driving vehicles; speed limit.

(a)    No person shall drive any automobile, motorcycle or any other vehicle upon the grass, walks or any other place except upon established roadways, unless authorized to do so by the director.

(b)    No person shall ride or drive any vehicle in any of the parks in excess of established posted speed limits. If no speed limit is posted, no person shall ride or drive any vehicle in excess of 15 miles per hour.

(Code 1985, § 17-11)