CITY PARKS RULES AND REGULATIONS

ORDINANCE NO. 2888

BEING AN ORDINANCE TO ADOPT RULES AND REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO MORRISTOWN CITY PARKS.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, OF THE CITY OF MORRISTOWN, TENNESSEE, THAT THE FOLLOWING SHALL BE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR CITY PARKS:
The City of Morristown Parks and Recreation Department provides parks, recreation and leisure services facilities for the recreational use of the public. To prevent abuse and misuse of the privileges and facilities provided, the following rules and regulations governing public use are adopted.

DEFINITIONS: The following definitions shall apply throughout this section:

Department - The City of Morristown Parks and Recreation Department.
Director - The Director of Morristown Parks and Recreation, or his designate.
City Recreation Board - The appointed eleven-member body of the City of Morristown.
City Code - A reference to, or a section of, the Morristown Municipal Code.
City Council - The elected seven-member body of the City of Morristown.
Park - shall include any park, open space area, recreation area, natural area, or building or facility located within such area, of the City of Morristown.

CITY PARKS RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. Abandonment of any vehicle or other personal property is prohibited in a park area.
2. Leaving any vehicle or other personal property unattended for longer than 24 hours, without prior permission of the Director. In the event an unattended vehicle interferes with the safe and orderly management of the park area, it may be towed immediately at owners expense.
3. No person, organization, firm or corporation shall post and/or distribute handbills, circulars, bulletins, banners, signs, or other printed matter on the streets, parks or recreation areas within the City of Morristown, without first having obtained written permission from the Director and a written permit from the City of Morristown. Commercial notices or advertisements shall not be displayed, posted or distributed on park area lands unless prior written permission has been granted by the Director. Such permission may be granted if the notice or advertisement is of goods, services, or facilities available within the park area or, if in the opinion of the Director, such notices and advertisements are found to be desirable or necessary for the convenience and guidance of the public.
4. Engaging in or soliciting any business in a park or recreation area except in accordance with the provisions of a permit, contract, or other written agreement with the Morristown Parks and Recreation Department is prohibited.
5. No person shall erect any structure, stand, or platform, or hold any organized sponsored athletic contest in any park or recreation area without the written approval of the Director. This provision does not prohibit informal games or athletic activities such as casual matches, scrimmages, pick-up games etc.
6. The fastening of any showcard, poster, or other advertising device upon any park or park property without written permission from the Director is prohibited.
7. Any concessionaire which though contractual agreement with the Department operates any concession shall supply and provide the required permits for such operation.
8. All concession areas operated by the Morristown Parks and Recreation Department shall be operated according to the ÒConcession Lease AgreementÓ of the department.
9. Consumption of alcoholic beverages within park and recreation areas is prohibited.
10. Begging is prohibited.
11. Commercial peddling and soliciting of any kind is strictly prohibited. This section shall not apply to transactions with authorized concessionaires within the park or recreation facility.
12. Bicycle riders must comply with all applicable traffic regulations and safety equipment requirements and shall be used on approved trails or designated areas.
13. The Director may close or otherwise restrict the use of any park or recreation facility when necessary to protect life or property, or for any other emergency. Such restricted area shall be defined, whenever practicable, by signs, markers, and through public notice.
14. Camping, whether tent, trailer, or other types of units, is prohibited in all parks, except with the written approval of the Director. Such approval shall be given only in unique situations, i.e. Boy Scout/Girl Scout overnight group camp out. In such cases, all camping equipment shall be completely removed and camping sites cleaned by campers before departure.
15. Construction of any building, structure, utility or any other entity upon, across, over, through, or under any park area, except in accordance with the provisions of a valid permit and contract and with the written approval of the Director is prohibited.
16. No person shall disturb, tend to disturb, or aid in disturbing the peace of others by violent, tumultuous, offensive, or obstreperous conduct.
17. The playing of any of the following devices in such a manner and at such times so as to unreasonably annoy persons within the park is prohibited. Radio, television set, musical instrument, loud speaker, or other device for amplification of sound. Noise producing devices such as electric generating plants or other equipment driven by motors or engines in such a manner and at such times so as to unreasonably annoy persons within the park is also prohibited.
18. The operation or use of public address systems, whether fixed, portable, or vehicle mounted is prohibited except when such use or operation is in connection with public gatherings or special events which have been approved by the Director.
19. No person shall disobey the lawful and reasonable order of a park employee in the discharge of his/her duties, or disobey or disregard the notices, prohibitions, instructions, rules or regulations on any park sign.
20. All animals are prohibited within the parks except sight or guide dogs used by the visually impaired and events at Frank Lorino Park horse ring and barn area.
21. The use or possession of explosives is prohibited.
22. The use or possession of fireworks and firecrackers is prohibited unless for community fireworks display with written permission from director and insurance coverage.
23. It shall be unlawful for any person to carry in any manner whatsoever, with the intent to go armed, any razor, dirk, knife, blackjack, brass-knucks, pistol, revolver, air rifle, air gun ÒBB gunÓ, or any other dangerous weapon such as hand thrown spears, bows and arrows or crossbows, or any other implements designed to discharge missiles in the air or under the water which are capable of destroying animal life. The possession of such objects or implements is prohibited unless they are unarmed and adequately cased in such a way as to prevent their use while in the park area. Exception 1: Shooters may use any recreational target shooting ranges specifically designed for such use. Exception 2: Authorized Federal, State, County and City law enforcement officers may carry firearms in the performance of their official duties.
24. The creation of any fire in any park outside a specifically designed picnic grill, fireplace or other similarly designed enclosure is prohibited without the written permission of the Director.
25. Only approved material may be used in the creation of such fires. No live plant material may be used for the creation of any fire.
26. All lighted cigarettes, cigars, smoking pipes, matches or other burning materials must be extinguished before disposing of same in a proper trash container.
27. Digging is prohibited within all park areas.
28. Anyone not removing all trash and debris which that person or groups have created or allowed to accumulate shall be guilty of littering.
29. Flea markets, garage sales, rummage sales, and all other such sales by a person, persons or organizations for either private or non-profit purposes are prohibited in park and recreation areas.
30. Horses and other saddle animals are allowed only on trails or facilities designated for them. Such animals may be allowed in parks only in special circumstances approved by the Director.
31. Opening and closing hours for all parks and recreation areas shall be from 7:00 a.m. till dusk unless specifically posted otherwise, or after regularly scheduled events requiring lights, in which case the closing hour shall be extended until the conclusion of the event.
32. Nothing in this section shall restrict any official work or activity in said areas during restricted hours by any department of the City of Morristown.
33. Entering or leaving any park or recreation facility except at established entrance ways or exits is prohibited. Presence in any park or recreational facility other than during posted operating hours is prohibited.
34. The installation and planting of any Memorial Tree, or any Memorial Tree marker, without the permission of the Director is prohibited. Memorial Trees may be planted in designated areas as defined within the Memorial Tree guidelines at that time. Flush to the ground markers may be purchased and will be installed by park crews upon approval of the Director.
35. The Department of Parks and Recreation shall have the authority to make additional rules and regulations as is necessary to insure the orderly growth and protection of the park, recreation and natural resource areas under its control consistent with and in furtherance of the intent of this ordinance.
36. The Director shall be the final authority in enforcement of rules and regulations relating to the park, recreation, natural resources, historical, and cultural areas of the City of Morristown. The City Recreation Commission shall be the appeal authority in cases where the decision of the Director is in dispute. An appeal shall be filed in writing with the City Recreation Commission within 10 days of the rendering of a final decision by the Director. The Recreation Commission shall render their decision at the next regularly scheduled monthly meeting. The failure of the Recreation Commission to render a decision shall result in the appeal going to City Council for rendering of decision.
37. The creation or maintenance of a nuisance upon City of Morristown properties is prohibited.
38. Interfering with, encumbering, obstructing or rendering dangerous any part of a park is prohibited.
39. The intentional or wanton destruction, defacement, or removal of any natural or cultural feature or non-renewable natural resource is prohibited without specific written permission from the Director.
40. The intentional or wanton destruction, injury, defacement, removal or disturbance in any manner of any public buildings, signs, equipment, monument, marker, or other structure or of any relic, artifact, historic structure or of any other similar public property is prohibited. The unauthorized possession of park equipment is prohibited without the written permission of the Director.
41. The gathering or collecting of natural products of a renewable living resource such as plant material for personal use or for commercial sale is prohibited. The destroying, digging, cutting, removing, or possession of any tree, shrub, or other plant is prohibited without a permit granted by the Director.
42. No person shall molest, kill, wound, hunt, or remove any animal, reptile, bird, or eggs of such animals.
43. Persons, corporations, or organizations may not conduct public meetings, assemblies, worship services, entertainment, demonstrations, or political rallies, within the general confines of a park or recreational area without written permission of the Director.
44. Written approval from the Director may be denied based on the following: (a) a prior application for the same time and place has been made which has been or will be granted; or (b) the event will present a clear and present danger to the public health or safety; or the event will cause a nuisance and disturbance to a significant number of other users of the park; or the event is of such nature or duration that it cannot reasonably be accommodated in the particular park area applied for.
45. No park or recreation area or facility may be used for a religious activity on a regular or permanent basis.
46. No park or facility within a park with the exception of picnic shelters may be reserved for the exclusive use of an individual or group. All play equipment, athletic facilities, parking areas, and other amenities are for the use of the public at large.
47. Picnic pavilion/shelters are for use on a reservation-only basis. Larger shelters at Frank Lorino (Dr. M.E. Shuck and Barron), Fred Miller (Bishop-Goodman), are reserved on a fee-basis; all others are free, on a first come first serve basis.
48. All garbage, papers, cans, bottles, and waste material of any kind must be disposed of only in provided trash receptacles, or removed from site.
49. Polluting or contaminating in any manner any watershed or water supply is prohibited.
50. Depositing of any bodily waste in or on any portion of any restroom facility or other public structure except into fixtures provided for that purpose is prohibited. Placing any item in any of the plumbing fixtures in such a station or facility for the purpose of interfering with or blocking the plumbing is prohibited. All restroom facilities shall be used in a clean and sanitary manner.
51. Using the public waste containers for dumping of household or commercial garbage or trash brought as such from off premises, except for trash reasonably incidental to a visit to a park or recreational facility is prohibited.
52. The use of tobacco products is prohibited in all Parks and Recreational Buildings and on athletic fields. Tobacco products are allowed in open park areas.
53. Sports events, pageants, reenactments, regattas, entertainments and the like, characterized as public spectator attractions, are prohibited without the prior written approval of the Director.
54. Swimming and bathing are prohibited except in municipal swimming pools specifically designed for such.
55. Violators of posted rules governing the use of swimming in municipal pools will be subject to removal from the premises if the violation is flagrant or repeated or the continued presence of the violator would create a hazardous condition in the area.
56. Specific rules governing the usage of municipal swimming pools in the City of Morristown are codified in the ÒSwimming Pool Policy Manual.
57. Motorized vehicles are prohibited on trails, with the exception of maintenance vehicles of the City of Morristown, authorized contractors and motorized wheel chairs.
58. All operators of motor vehicles in parks must conform to all traffic rules and regulations of the City of Morristown and the State of Tennessee.
59. The speed limit in all parks and recreation areas is 15 m.p.h.
60. No driver shall stop, park, or leave any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, upon the paved or maintained surface of a road or parking area so as to leave less than 10 feet of the width of the same traffic lane for the free or unobstructed movement of other vehicles, except in the event of an accident or as otherwise directed by an authorized person.
61. Pedestrians have right-of-way over motor vehicles in all parks.
62. Operating a motor vehicle in areas other than established roadways, parking areas, or designated routes is prohibited.
63. All operators of motorcycles, trail bikes, off-road vehicles and other motorized vehicles must conform to the same rules and regulations as those of any other motor vehicle.
64. No person shall grease, lubricate, or make repairs to any vehicle in a park or recreation area except those of a minor nature, and then only in case of emergency.
65. Roller blades, roller skates, skate boards and bicycles, are prohibited on all walking trails, tennis courts, basketball courts and pedestrian areas unless specified by signage.
66. The hitting of golf balls in any park is prohibited.
PENALTIES: Any violation of these rules and regulations for the care and management of such properties as may be made under the authority of T.C.A. 11-24-112 and the appropriate City Code of the City of Morristown governing the appropriate violation, shall be subject to enforcement by a civil penalty of not more than $50 for each violation.
We hope you will visit our Parks soon. Remember, all areas of the parks including plants and animals (living or dead), rocks, minerals, and artifacts are protected by laws. Violators will be prosecuted to the fullest if caught. Help us keep your parks neat, clean, and natural for all visitors.
For further information contact:
Morristown Parks & Recreation 415 West Louise Avenue Morristown, Tennessee 37813 Phone (423) 586-0260 Fax (423) 318-1544