Park and Recreation Ordinances

This page contains a list of ordinances related to parks for the City of Victoria.

Sec 17-1. Purpose and application of chapter.
This chapter applies to all city parks and other recreation areas under the jurisdiction of the city council. The purpose of this chapter is to protect the city parks and recreation areas, all persons within the boundaries of those parks and areas and to further regulate the use of those parks and areas.
(Code 1975, §, 1300:01)

Sec 17-2. Definitions.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Intoxicating Liquor means any liquor which is intoxicating pursuant to state law and includes ethyl alcohol, distilled, fermented, spirituous, vinous, and malt beverages containing in excess of 3.2 percent of alcohol by weight.

Motor recreation vehicle mean self-propelled, off-the-road, or all-terrain conveyance including, but not limited to, snowmobiles, minibikes, amphibious vehicles, motorcycles, go-carts, trail bikes or dune buggies.

Park means those geographical areas within the city or under control of the city council designated by them as being a park of the city park system.

Park manager means the person designated by the city council with responsibility for the operation and management of a particular park.

Park visitor means any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, governmental unit, company or organization of any kind within a park.

Vehicle mean any motorized, self-propelled, animal drawn or human-powered conveyance.

Weapon means any device from which shot or a projectile of any type can be discharged by means of an explosive, gas or compressed air, otherwise propelled, including, but not limited to, firearms, bow and arrows, slings and spring-guns.

Wildlife means all living creatures, not human, wild by nature, endowed with sensation and power of voluntary motion, including quadrupeds, mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans and mollusks.
(Code 1975, §, 1300:05)
Cross Reference - Definitions generally, § 1-2.

Sec 17-3. Park hours.
No one will be permitted in any city park before 6:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m. without approval by the city council or a written permit issued by the city clerk, except Community Athletic Park - Lions Park, where the park shall be closed by 10:45 p.m. and baseball and softball field lighting shall not be on after 10:30 p.m., except one bank of lights may remain illuminated no later than 10:45 p.m.
(Code 1975, §, 1300:90; Ord. No. 205, § 1, 4-20-95; Ord. No. 247 §§ 1, 2, 5-15-97)

Sec 17-4. Disorderly conduct.
No person shall do any of the following knowing or having reasonable grounds to know that it will or will tend to alarm, anger or disturb others or provoke an assault or breach of the peace:

1. Engage in brawling or fighting; or
2. Disturb an assembly or meeting not unlawful in its character.

Sec 17-5. Intoxicating liquor.
No person shall bring into any park any intoxicating liquor.
(Code 1975, §, 1300:15)

Sec 17-6. Littering.
No person shall deposit, drop or abandon garbage, rubbish, offal, waste or any kind of other litter in or upon any waters or land with a park.
(Code 1975, §, 1300:20)

Sec 17-7. Fires.
Whoever is culpably negligent in causing a fire to burn or get out of control and thereby creates an unreasonable risk and high degree of probability of damage or injury to another, and the property or person of another is damaged or injured or endangered thereby is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(Code 1975, §, 1300:25)
Cross Reference - Fire prevention and protection, ch. 14.

Sec 17-8. Soliciting.

1. No person shall distribute or disseminate leaflets, pamphlets or other printed material or use any mechanical or electrical device in a park for soliciting or advertising, except upon prior written consent of the city.
2. No person shall carry on or conduct any business or service within a park without the prior written approval of the city.

Sec 17-9. Use of weapons.

1. No person shall possess any weapon within a park without authorization by the council, and any unauthorized weapon shall be subject to seizure by the park manager or other authorized personnel to be disposed of in the same manner as weapons confiscated by the state department of natural resources.
2. No person shall discharge any weapon or explosive in a park or into a park from beyond park boundaries.

Sec 17-10. Sports activities.
All participation in any sporting event or activity shall take place only at designated times and locations in a park.
(Code 1975, §, 1300:40)

Sec 17-11. Camping; permit required; prohibitions.

1. Only city residents and their guests shall engage in camping activities.
2. A written permit is needed for all camping. The permit shall be obtained from the city clerk or his authorized representative prior to the camping activity.
3. No person shall cut, damage or remove any tree or other vegetation in a park or dig any trenches or make any excavations in a park without written permission of the park manager.
4. All camping activities shall occur only in designated areas in a park.

Sec 17-12. Boating.

1. No person shall launch, land or leave unattended any boat, canoe, raft or other watercraft upon any water, lagoon, lake or pond within a park except at locations and times designated for that purpose.
2. No person shall operate any watercraft in a designated swimming area or other prohibited area or in violation of Minn. Stats. ch. 361.

Sec 17-13. Swimming.

1. No person shall wade or swim within a park except at beaches designated for that purpose and then only between sunrise and sunset or at such hours as may be designated by the council.
2. No person shall take any can, bottle or glass of any kind into a designated beach area, except eyeglasses.
3. No person shall use any air mattress, inner tube or other inflatable device in a park except in supervised beach areas.

Sec 17-14. Fishing.

1. No person shall fish in a park in violation of any provision of Minn. Stats. ch. 101, or in any area designated "no fishing."
2. No person shall store any private structure or shelter on park property.

Sec 17-15. Bicycling.

1. No person shall operate a bicycle except on park designated bikeways and roadways.
2. No person shall operate a bicycle in violation of Minn. Stats. ch. 169.
3. No person shall park a bicycle at any beach, campground, picnic area or other park area, except at a bicycle rack, if such rack is provided.

Sec 17-16. Horses.
Horses are prohibited in any city parks except as provided in section 6-89.
(Code 1975, §, 1300:70)
Cross Reference - Horses generally, § 6-86 et. seq.; riding requirements, § 6-89.

Sec 17-17. Vehicles and recreation vehicles.

1. No person shall operate any motorized vehicle within a park except upon roadways, parking areas, or other designated locations therefor.
2. The speed limit within parks shall be 15 miles per hour.
3. It shall be unlawful to operate any two-wheeled motorized vehicle within any park.

Sec 17-18. Animals.

1. No person shall intentionally kill, trap, hunt, pursue or in any manner disturb or cause to be disturbed any species of wildlife within a park, except that fishing may be permitted in designated areas.
2. No person shall remove any animal, living or dead, from a park, and any animal so taken will be considered contraband and subject to seizure and confiscation.
3. No person shall bring a dog, cat or other pet into a park unless caged or kept on a leash not more than six feet in length, or tether any animal to a tree or other plant.
4. No person shall permit any dog, cat or other pet to enter a beach area, nature center area, refuge area, picnic area, park building or other unauthorized area within a park.

Sec 17-19. Meetings, speeches, demonstrations and parades.
No person shall conduct public meetings, assemblies, entertainment, parades, demonstrations, worship services or any other meeting of any organization within a park without first giving 30 days' prior written notice to the city and obtaining a permit.
(Code 1975, §, 1300:85)

Sec 17-20. Glass beverage containers.
It shall be unlawful for any person to bring into, use or discard any glass beverage containers, including pop, beer and water bottles, drinking glasses and drinking cups made of glass and any and all similar beverage containers, in any city park.
(Ord. No. 222, § 1(1300:95), 11-2-95)