Park Ordinance Update PowerPoint
Park Ordinance Changes County Board Workshop, June 17, 2014
Park Ordinance Updates • County’s Park Use Ordinance adopted in May, 2009 prior to the opening of Cedar Lake Farm • Parks Advisory Commission conducted a public hearing on proposed ordinance changes (April and May)
• Public comments and Advisory Commission’s recommendations provided to County Board • Discussion and Direction
Park Ordinance Updates Tobacco Policy Considerations – Current County park use ordinance restricts smoking or any tobacco use in or within 25 feet of any indoor area, in any creative play area, beach, swimming area, or water play area. – Representatives from Association for Nonsmokers MN attended the recent public hearing and testified for a tobacco free park policy – County’s Parks Advisory Commission discussed the concept and continued the public hearing to allow staff an opportunity to research the issue
Park Ordinance Updates Tobacco Policy Considerations – Agency Comparison Agency
Tobacco Free
More Restrictive
Three Rivers Anoka County
X X
Carver County
Dakota County
Similar to Current County Ordinance (specifics vary)
X
X
Ramsey County
X
Washington County
X
Minneapolis
X (recently considered tobacco-free policy, but appears to be on hold)
Park Ordinance Updates Tobacco Policy Considerations – Survey of Cedar Lake Farm Regional Park Renters Survey Comments • Good Idea-completely support it. We’re a church group with youth so we wouldn’t be smoking anyway. •
It’s a positive if it would be smoke free.
•
Would impact group if it was smoke free, since we’re camping and we’ll be there all weekend. It’s a family event so not everyone smokes but some do.
•
Would it be ok in the parking lot? As long as there was at least one designated place to go then we’d still come.
•
Probably would have still reserved for my wedding. Although, I would have questioned if this was the right space for me.
Park Ordinance Updates Tobacco Policy Considerations – Additional Information – Enforcement: Enforcement at other agencies is through education; No record of citations issued at other systems that are more restrictive
– Scott County Public Health: Would support movement in this direction through education, awareness raising, and outreach; However, they recognize that the authority for this decision rests elsewhere – Consistency: Change the policy would create different rules for Scott County owned parks (Spring Lake Regional Park, Cedar Lake Farm Regional Park) compared to Three Rivers owned parks in Scott County (Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve and Cleary Lake Regional Park)
Park Ordinance Updates • County’s Park Use Ordinance adopted in May, 2009 prior to the opening of Cedar Lake Farm • Parks Advisory Commission conducted a public hearing on proposed ordinance changes (April and May)
• Public comments and Advisory Commission’s recommendations provided to County Board • Discussion and Direction
Park Ordinance Updates Tobacco Policy Considerations – Current County park use ordinance restricts smoking or any tobacco use in or within 25 feet of any indoor area, in any creative play area, beach, swimming area, or water play area. – Representatives from Association for Nonsmokers MN attended the recent public hearing and testified for a tobacco free park policy – County’s Parks Advisory Commission discussed the concept and continued the public hearing to allow staff an opportunity to research the issue
Park Ordinance Updates Tobacco Policy Considerations – Agency Comparison Agency
Tobacco Free
More Restrictive
Three Rivers Anoka County
X X
Carver County
Dakota County
Similar to Current County Ordinance (specifics vary)
X
X
Ramsey County
X
Washington County
X
Minneapolis
X (recently considered tobacco-free policy, but appears to be on hold)
Park Ordinance Updates Tobacco Policy Considerations – Survey of Cedar Lake Farm Regional Park Renters Survey Comments • Good Idea-completely support it. We’re a church group with youth so we wouldn’t be smoking anyway. •
It’s a positive if it would be smoke free.
•
Would impact group if it was smoke free, since we’re camping and we’ll be there all weekend. It’s a family event so not everyone smokes but some do.
•
Would it be ok in the parking lot? As long as there was at least one designated place to go then we’d still come.
•
Probably would have still reserved for my wedding. Although, I would have questioned if this was the right space for me.
Park Ordinance Updates Tobacco Policy Considerations – Additional Information – Enforcement: Enforcement at other agencies is through education; No record of citations issued at other systems that are more restrictive
– Scott County Public Health: Would support movement in this direction through education, awareness raising, and outreach; However, they recognize that the authority for this decision rests elsewhere – Consistency: Change the policy would create different rules for Scott County owned parks (Spring Lake Regional Park, Cedar Lake Farm Regional Park) compared to Three Rivers owned parks in Scott County (Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve and Cleary Lake Regional Park)
