DATE: 12/03/2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Community Services Department
2025-461
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
REVISIONS TO CORONA MUNICIPAL CODE SECTIONS REGARDING PROHIBITED
CONDUCT IN PARKS AND RECREATION AREAS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to approve the first reading of Ordinance No. 3423, amending sections 12.24.030, 12.24.040, and 12.24.060 of Chapter 12.24 of the Corona Municipal Code (CMC) to clarify that rules and regulations established as an administrative policy are enforceable following the posting of the policy on the city’s website and the posting of signs at the location of the relevant public parks, recreation buildings/facilities, or amenities.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council introduce by title only and waive full reading for consideration of Ordinance No. 3423, the first reading of an ordinance amending Sections 12.24.030,
12.24.040, and 12.24.060 of the Corona Municipal Code regarding prohibited conduct in parks and recreation areas.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The Community Services Department oversees 38 parks and multiple facilities throughout the City of Corona. Many of these sites offer specialized amenities, including skate parks, tennis courts, and sports fields, which support a wide range of recreational activities.
These parks are regularly used by community members of all ages—from toddlers to seniors—for both structured sports programs and passive recreation. To ensure proper usage of these sites, rules and regulations are established not only through ordinances like CMC 12.24, but also through administrative policies that identify prohibited activities.
ANALYSIS:
The Community Services Department believes that Chapter 12.24 of the Corona Municipal Code (CMC) could better express the current operational practices, permitted uses, and enforcement provisions outlined in the CMC and the City’s administrative policies. For instance, although CMC Section 12.24.030 currently lists 29 specific types of “prohibited conduct” and CMC 12.24.010 provides that the City Manager may adopt additional rules and regulations that are not in conflict with the CMC, Section 12.24.040 and 12.24.060 do not expressly provide that the additional rules and regulations can be enforced in the same manner as those expressly spelled out in Section 12.24.030. It is implied but not expressly stated.
The Community Services Department is therefore recommending revisions to CMC Chapter 12.24 to make it expressly clear that rules and regulations adopted by policy can be enforced in the same manner, as well as revisions to clarify how such enforcement efforts are to be noticed. First, staff is recommending adding the following subsection DD to the list of “prohibit conduct” in Section 12.24.030:
“(DD) Violation of rules and regulations: Violation of any rules and regulations established by the city for the use of public parks, recreation buildings/facilities, and amenities provided they meet the following: (1) the rules and regulations are established in writing as an administrative policy; (2) the administrative policy is posted on the city’s website; and (3) the rules and regulations are referenced in signs posted pursuant to section 12.24.060.”
As noted, any rules and regulations adopted by administrative policy would clearly be enforceable following the posting of the policy on the city’s website and the posting of signs at the location of the relevant public parks, recreation buildings/facilities, or amenities.
Staff is also recommending revisions to Sections 12.24.040 and 12.24.060 simply to clarify that enforcement efforts can include more actions than just ejection from the site and requiring staff to post signs pursuant to the new Section 12.24.030(DD). Any person failing to comply with the rules and regulations will be subject to citation or other enforcement tools or actions available to the City.
This amendment to the CMC will provide a clear legal framework to support the fair and consistent management of the City’s parks and facilities, ensuring that administrative policies are enforceable and transparent to the public.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with the approval of the recommended actions.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action is to approve a revised policy and amend Chapter 12.24 of the CMC, and there is no possibility that this project will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: MOSES CORTEZ, PARKS AND TRAILS MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: DONNA FINCH, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
ATTACHMENT:
1. Exhibit 1 – Ordinance No. 3423