§ 42-33. Rules and regulations.

The following rules and regulations shall be applicable to all parks and facilities unless it is specifically provided otherwise in the site-specific resolutions adopted pursuant to this article:

(1)

Commercial use. It is unlawful to make any commercial use of a park or facility unless franchised by the county or a part of a bona-fide county approved special function or event. Commercial uses shall include but not be limited to the sale or display for sale of any merchandise; the servicing of repair of any vehicle except the rendering of emergency service; the storage of vehicles or mobile homes being serviced or repaired; the solicitation for sale of goods, property or services; or the display of advertising or circulation of commercial handbills, fliers, coupons and the like.

(2)

Trespass. It is unlawful to trespass upon any park or facility.

(3)

It is unlawful to remain within any park or facility after having been asked to leave by a county employee or facility manager.

(4)

Weapons. No person shall fire or discharge any bow, crossbow, pellet gun, paint ball gun, bb-gun, or other similar weapon or device within or into any park or facility.

(5)

Aircraft. No person shall take off or land any aircraft, glider or parachute into or from any park or facility without consent of the county.

(6)

Vandalism. No person shall willfully mark, deface, disfigure, injure, tamper with, displace or remove any facility or appertainments thereof, signs, notices or placards whether temporary or permanent, monuments, stakes, posts or other structures, or improvements or equipment or any part thereof, located in any park. No person shall climb or clamber on or over any building, handrail, facility or structure except for playground equipment used in the manner for which it was designed and intended.

(7)

Horseback riding. No person in any park or facility shall ride horseback except on roadways and bridle paths within areas designated for such purposes. No person shall ride horseback in any park or recreational area after dark or before daylight. It shall be unlawful for any person to ride a horse in a reckless manner and no horse shall be unattended.

(8)

Fire. No person shall ignite, set or maintain any fire for cooking or any other purpose in any park or facility unless such fire is within a designated receptacle and area for such purpose.

(9)

Fireworks. No person in any park or facility shall carry, fire, discharge or ignite, any rocket, torpedo, mortar, fireworks or other potentially dangerous flammable material of any description without the written consent from the county.

(10)

Hunting, feeding or disturbing wildlife. No person in any park or recreational area shall feed, take, hunt, catch, harm, kill, trap, chase, tease, shoot or throw missiles at any animal, reptile or bird. No person in any park shall remove, disturb or have in his possession the eggs, nest or young of any wild animal, reptile or bird. Fishing is permitted in designated areas and only under the provisions, regulations and rules of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the State of Florida Department of Natural Resources.

(11)

Interference with personnel. No person shall interfere with, hinder, or oppose any officer, agent or employee of the county in the discharge of their duties or with the enforcement of the park regulations and rules. Persons within a park or facility shall obey all instructions and directions of park officials in charge. No person shall impersonate any staff or employee of the county for any reason whatsoever.

(12)

Prior ejectment. No person who has been ejected from a park or facility for a violation of a rule or regulation may enter upon or use any park or facility for a period of six months. No person may remain upon any park or facility after a county employee or law enforcement officer informs the person to leave for violation of a rule or regulation.

(13)

Meeting. No person shall organize any public meeting, assembly, entertainment, tournament, religious gathering, demonstration, parade, procession or meeting, in any park or facility that is reasonably anticipated to include more than 25 persons without consent from the county.

(14)

Noise. Portable music and sound equipment including radios, CD players, etc. may be used in the park only at volume levels which do not disturb or be a nuisance to other facility users or park personnel, nor detract from the peaceful atmosphere. Live amplified music or amplified musical instrument playing is allowed in parks only with prior approval of the parks and recreation director or park manager.

(15)

Pollution. No person shall throw or place, or cause to be thrown or placed, any dirt, filth, septage, chemicals, or foreign matter into the waters of any lake, pond, pool, river, inlet, retention area, ditch, tank or reservoir in or adjacent to any park or facility.

(16)

Removal of natural resources. No person in any park or facility shall remove any beach sand, whether submerged or not, any soil, rock, stones, plants, wood, or any other material whatsoever from any park facility, or make any excavation by tools, equipment, blasting or other means in existing material in a park or facility.

(17)

Rubbish. No person shall throw, place, cast, deposit, dump or cause to be thrown any ashes, refuse, vegetables, garbage, cinders, shells, straw, shavings, paper, scraps, dirt or like matter, filth or rubbish of any kind in any park or facility except to place the same in receptacles or cans specifically provided for such matter. Where public receptacles are not provided or are full, all such litter shall be carried away from the park by the person responsible for its presence and properly disposed of elsewhere. Provided further, no such material shall be brought into any park or facility for the purpose of disposing of same in the receptacles provided for the use and convenience of those properly using the park or facility.

(18)

Sales and solicitation. No person shall solicit money or contribution for any purpose, whether public or private in any park or facility without the consent of the county.

(19)

Sleeping, camping and lodging. No person shall sleep, camp, lodge, or park a vehicle or boat overnight in any park or facility except in such areas as may be designated for such purpose and without paying the applicable fee, if any for such activity.

(20)

Traffic.

(a)

The State Uniform Traffic Control Laws, (F.S. Ch. 316), are incorporated by reference and made a part of this chapter and shall apply to the operation of all motor vehicles on streets, roads and parking areas within parks, unless modified otherwise under the provisions of this article or the facility-specific rules and regulations. Traffic officers and employees of the county are hereby authorized to direct traffic whenever necessary.

(b)

No person shall operate, drive or park any vehicle, motorcycle, ATV, or airboat upon any road, driveway, field, path, parking area or other area unless it has been designated and open by the county for such purpose.

(c)

No person shall drive a vehicle at a rate of speed exceeding 15 miles per hour in any park unless the county has designated, by posted sign, a greater speed limit.

(d)

No person shall park any vehicle in any area other than the areas which are designated for parking. Parking at any established parking area shall be done in accordance with the markings thereon.

(e)

No unattended vehicle marked "for sale" may be parked in any parking area of any park or facility.

(f)

Bicycles, roller blades and skateboards are restricted to roads and sidewalks within park areas or areas specifically designated for their use. They are not permitted in spectator areas at fields or courts unless a special performance for such has been arranged. When riding on vehicular roads, all persons must observe safety rules and regulations as constituted by state law. When riding on sidewalks, respect the safety and security of other park users and do not leave bicycles or equipment on the sidewalk unattended.

(21)

Trees and vegetation. No person in any park or facility shall remove, damage, disturb, cut, carve or transplant any tree, shrubbery, lawn, plant or flower. No person shall attach any rope, wire or other contrivance to any tree or plant in any park or facility.

(22)

Water activity. No person shall swim, ski, dive, surf, scuba, fish or use boats in any area, in any park, or facility except at such places as are designated for such use or purpose. No motorized watercraft shall be launched into or removed from any park waters except at such places as are designated for such use or purpose. (Example: boat ramps).

(23)

Glass bottles and containers. No glass bottles or containers are allowed on any beach, dock, pool, or water area located in any park or facility.

(24)

Golf. No person shall drive, putt, or otherwise hit a golfball, except in those areas specifically designated for those purposes.

(25)

Commercial photography. No person shall take still or motion pictures for commercial purposes involving the use of special settings or structures, or the performance of a cast or persons, either amateur or professional, without first obtaining consent from the county.

(26)

Payments, reservations, permits. All payments, reservations, permits, etc., must be made or secured in advance of use.

(27)

Advertising and publicity. All advertising and publicity posted within any park or facility, as well as all advertising about an event to be held within a park or facility must be approved by the parks and recreation director or park manager prior to release or posting.

(28)

Animals. No animal shall be permitted in a facility except in designated areas or as part of a bona-fide county approved function or event. This restriction shall not apply to services animals, as they are defined herein, or as they may be defined by either federal or Florida law, as may from time to time be amended. Animals in a park must be under the control of the owner at all times and managed in accordance with direction of county staff and the posted rules of the park. Dogs shall be leashed at all times within a park or facility. This restriction shall not apply to services animals, as they are defined herein, or as the may be defined by either federal or Florida law, as may from time to time be amended.

(29)

Vehicle maintenance. No person shall make non-emergency repairs, perform routine maintenance or wash any private or commercial vehicle in any park or facility.

(30)

Personal property. The county assumes no responsibility for loss of, or damage to, personal property. All personal property, equipment and effects must be removed on a daily basis before the posted closing time of the park or facility. Any such property left after closing will be removed by park or facility officials and will be disposed of pursuant to law.

(31)

Personal injury. All persons using county parks do so at their own risk. County parks and facilities do not routinely have lifeguards on duty and there is a danger of serious injury or death from swimming, skiing, diving or engaging in other similar water sports outside of designated areas or when there is no lifeguard on duty.

(32)

Swimming. No person, regardless of age or manner of dress, shall swim, bathe or wade in any waters or waterways within park boundaries, except in such waters and at such places and times as specifically provided.

(33)

Alcoholic beverages. The possession, sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages in any park or facility is prohibited, unless authorized by the county as part of a special event or activity. This rule shall not be construed to prohibit purchase or on-premises consumption at a concession licensed by the state for such activity.

(34)

Public nuisance and disorderly conduct. Whoever commits such acts that are of a nature to corrupt the public morals, outrage the sense of public decency or affect the peace and quiet of persons who may witness same, or engages in brawling or fighting, or engages in abusive or indecent language, or engages in such conduct as to constitute a hazard to the health, safety or welfare of other park visitors, or violates the rules and/or regulations of any park area, or otherwise engages in any activity which creates a disturbance or nuisance in a county park, shall upon due notice of violation be classified as a trespasser, and ordered to leave the park.

(Ord. No. 2002-01, § 1, 3-14-02; Ord. No. 2011-02, § 1, 9-28-11; Ord. No. 2015-0002, § 2.b, 1-22-2015)