Chapter 12. Parks and Recreation

Sec. 12-1. Definitions.

In this chapter:

(1) Director means the Parks & Recreation Director or designee.

(2) Park means land owned or controlled by the City and used for public recreation, including Queso Creek Park, Dad Bod Memorial Park, Sweet Tea Lake Park, and land in the PK district. Park does not include the Dongvile Cemetery, which is governed by Chapter 7.

(3) Park use permit means a permit issued by the Director under Section 12-3.

(4) Waterfowl means ducks, geese, coots, and other aquatic birds, whether wild or domestic and whether or not they appear to belong to anyone.

Sec. 12-2. Park hours.

(a) Parks are open from dawn to dusk, except Sweet Tea Lake Park, which is open from dawn to 10:00 p.m.

(b) No person shall enter or remain in a park while it is closed, except under a park use permit.

(c) The Director may close all or part of a park for maintenance, weather, flooding, or wildlife activity.

Sec. 12-3. Reservations and park use permits.

(a) Pavilions may be reserved through the Parks & Recreation Department at City Hall, in person or by telephone, up to 12 months in advance. Unreserved pavilions and grills are available on a first-come basis.

(b) Fees:

Reservation	Resident	Nonresident
Pavilion, half day	$25	$40
Pavilion, full day	$45	$70
Damage and cleaning deposit (refundable)	$50	$50
Park use permit	$50	$50

(c) A park use permit is required for an event with more than 100 people, amplified sound, vendors, or the use of a park after hours.

(d) A person who uses a park grill shall extinguish the coals and clean the grill before leaving.

Sec. 12-4. Vehicles in parks.

(a) Motor vehicles shall be driven only on park roads and parked only in designated parking areas. The speed limit on park roads is 10 miles per hour.

(b) No motor vehicle shall be operated on a trail, except a City or emergency vehicle.

(c) At Sweet Tea Lake Park, vehicles with boat trailers shall park only in spaces marked for trailers.

Sec. 12-5. Alcoholic beverages; glass containers.

(a) No person shall possess or consume an alcoholic beverage in a park, except at an event under a park use permit at which alcoholic beverages are served by the holder of a temporary permit issued by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

(b) Glass containers are prohibited in all parks.

Sec. 12-6. Animals in parks.

(a) Dogs shall be kept on a leash not more than six feet long. Owners shall remove animal waste as required by Section 6-12.

(b) No person shall release an animal in a park, including a domestic duck.

Sec. 12-7. Feeding of waterfowl prohibited.

(a) Findings. The City Council finds that the waterfowl at Queso Creek Park have become habituated to being fed by people; that they approach park users aggressively and in organized groups; that their droppings have accumulated on the Queso Creek trail and degraded water quality in Queso Creek; and that feeding is the principal cause of these conditions.

(b) No person shall feed waterfowl in a park, or leave or scatter food where waterfowl may reach it.

(c) No person shall chase, harass, capture, or injure waterfowl in a park. A person who uses no more force than is reasonably necessary to defend himself or herself from waterfowl does not violate this subsection.

(d) The Director may post signs and may close any portion of the Queso Creek trail during nesting season or when waterfowl activity creates a hazard.

(e) This section does not apply to City employees or contractors performing wildlife management.

Sec. 12-8. Sweet Tea Lake.

(a) Sweet Tea Lake is a recreational lake and is not a source of public water supply.

(b) Boats shall be launched only at the boat ramp. Boats shall be operated at no-wake speed within 100 feet of the boat ramp, the fishing pier, and the shoreline.

(c) Swimming and wading in Sweet Tea Lake are prohibited.

(d) Fishing is permitted in accordance with state law, except from the boat ramp.

(e) Wildlife advisory signs posted by the Department at Sweet Tea Lake Park are official signs of the City and shall be obeyed.

Sec. 12-9. Benches, memorials and permanent improvements.

(a) No person shall install a bench, memorial, plaque, tree, monument, or other permanent improvement in a park except as provided in this section.

(b) The Director may approve a memorial tree or plaque under guidelines adopted by the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board.

(c) A new bench may be installed only as authorized by ordinance. An ordinance authorizing a new bench shall be read at two regular meetings of the City Council before adoption, notwithstanding any rule that permits adoption on a single reading.

(d) Replacing an existing bench with a bench of substantially the same size in the same location is maintenance and does not require an ordinance.

Sec. 12-10. Prohibited conduct.

No person in a park shall:

(1) build a fire except in a grill or fire ring provided by the City;

(2) discharge fireworks or a firearm;

(3) camp overnight, except under a park use permit;

(4) launch or land an unmanned aircraft, except in an area designated by the Director;

(5) damage, cut, or remove any tree, plant, sign, or park equipment;

(6) sell goods or services without a park use permit; or

(7) hit golf balls.

Sec. 12-11. Parks & Recreation Advisory Board.

The Parks & Recreation Advisory Board consists of five members appointed by the City Council for two-year staggered terms. The Board meets quarterly on the second Thursday of the month and advises the Council and the Director on park planning, fees, programs, and memorial guidelines.

Sec. 12-12. Penalty.

A person who violates this chapter commits a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $500, as provided in Section 1-8. The Director may also revoke a park use permit and require a person who violates this chapter to leave the park.