TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
STAFF REPORT
AGENDA ITEM #7
MEETING DATE November 5, 2025
PREPARED FOR Mayor and Town Council
PREPARED BY Janet Coleson, Town Attorney and Heather Abrams, Town Manager SUBJECT Adopt a Resolution Containing Rules for Use of the Town’s Parks. Introduce and Waive First Reading of an Ordinance Amending Town Code Chapter 12.36 to Remove Provisions That Are No Longer Needed Due to Adoption of the AntiCamping Ordinance in Chapter 9.30
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a Resolution Containing Rules for Use of the Town’s Parks. Introduce and Waive First Reading of an Ordinance Amending Town Code Chapter 12.36 to Remove Provisions That Are No Longer Needed Due to Adoption of the Anti-Camping Ordinance in Chapter 9.30.
BACKGROUND
While drafting the anti-camping ordinance, staff noticed there are numerous rules for use of the Town’s parks placed in multiple different sections throughout the Town Code. During discussions on the camping ordinance, the Town Council directed staff to draft and bring to the Council a resolution containing rules for use of the Town’s parks so that the rules could all be placed in one document that could be modified in one reading as opposed to the two readings and 30 days required for an ordinance amendment. Further, §12.36.010 of the Town Code authorizes the Council to adopt rules for park use by resolution.
DISCUSSION
At present, rules for use of the Town’s parks are found throughout the Town Code in various sections, sometimes in sections just entitled miscellaneous. This means locating a particular rule or understanding the full scope of the rules is difficult and it means the park rules are more challenging to administer and enforce. Placing all the rules for use of the Town’s parks in one easily located document, a resolution, will help in quickly locating all the rules and modifying them in the future, since resolutions only require one approval by the Council and are effective immediately. Placing all the rules in one resolution also will aid in developing signage to notify the users of the parks of the requirements for use.
The initial list of park rules already in place and taken from the Town Code are as follows:
1) “No Littering” (Town Code §8.12.080 and §8.12.090)
2) “No Dogs Allowed” (Town Code §6.16.020 Central Ballfield Playing Field & Peri Park Playground Area only)
3) “No Smoking” (Town Code §8.44.070(B)(2))
4) “No Glass Containers” (Town Code §9.12.010)
5) “No Alcoholic Beverages” (Town Code §9.12.020
2 6) “No Camping” (Town Code §9.30.050)
7) “Park Closed 10:00 p.m. to Sunrise”
Additional rules proposed from slightly modified Town Code sections are as follows:
1) “Dogs Allowed Only On Leash - Assistance Dogs Excepted” (Modified from Town Code §6.16.020 and to be placed in other than Central Ballfield and Peri Park Playground Area where dogs are not allowed.
2) “Post No Notices or Advertisements” (Modified from Town Code §8.12.100 and §12.48.010) Adoption of Resolution 25-XX will authorize the Town Manager to commission signage with the above listed nine rules for use of the Town’s Parks. Enforcement will be listed on the signage by reference to Town Code Title 1.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact from restructuring the method of providing rules for use of the Town’s parks.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Resolution
B. Ordinance
ATTACHMENT A
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FAIRFAX
ADOPTING RULES OF USE FOR TOWN PARKS AND AUTHORIZING THE TOWN
MANAGER TO COMMISSION AND PLACE SIGNAGE REGARDING SAME IN ALL TOWN PARKS
WHEREAS, the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax is authorized to adopt by resolution, such rules and regulations as it deems necessary and appropriate to regulate the use of Town parks; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax authorizes the Town Manager to commission and place signage regarding said rules; and
WHEREAS, the resolution may be amended from time to time to modify said rules.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax that the following set of Park Rules are hereby adopted and the Town Manager is hereby authorized to commission and place signage regarding said rules in all Town parks:
PARK RULES
1) No Littering
2) No Dogs Allowed (Central Ballfield Playing Field & Peri Park Playground Area only) 3) No Smoking
4) No Glass Containers
5) No Alcoholic Beverages
6) No Camping
7) Dogs Must Be Leashed - Assistance Dogs Excepted (Other than Central Ballfield and Peri Park Playground Area)
8) Post No Notices or Advertisements
9) Park Closed - 10:00 p.m. to Sunrise
The foregoing resolution was duly passed and adopted at a meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax held in said Town on the 15th day of October 2025 by the following vote, to wit:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
Attest:
_____________________ __________________________
Lisel Blash, Mayor Christine Foster, Deputy Town Clerk
ORDINANCE
AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FAIRFAX AMENDING TOWN CODE CHAPTER 12.36 – REGULATIONS FOR PARKS,
PLAYGROUNDS, PUBLIC TENNIS COURTS, AND CENTRAL BALLFIELD The Town Council of the Town of Fairfax does hereby ordain the following.
SECTION 1. Town Code Chapter 12.36 shall be amended in its entirety to read as follows:
“CHAPTER 12.36: REGULATIONS FOR PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS, PUBLIC TENNIS
COURTS, AND CENTRAL BALLFIELD
Section 12.36.010 Town Council authorized to adopt rules and regulations Section 12.36.020 Reserved
Section 12.36.030 Reserved
Section 12.36.040 Operation and maintenance
Section 12.36.050 Rules and regulations; establishment; posting Section 12.36.060 Rules and regulations; enforcement
§ 12.36.010 TOWN COUNCIL AUTHORIZED TO ADOPT RULES AND REGULATIONS.
The Town Council, by resolution, may adopt such rules and regulations as it deems necessary to regulate the use and occupancy of public parks, playgrounds, public tennis courts, and the Central Ballfield.
(Ord. 746, passed 10-7-2009)
§ 12.36.020 RESERVED
§ 12.36.030 RESERVED
§ 12.36.040 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.
Public tennis courts, parks, playgrounds, and Central Ballfield in the Town shall be managed, maintained, operated and controlled as a part of the public recreational facilities of the town, under the direction of the Town Manager, or designee.
§ 12.36.050 RULES AND REGULATIONS; ESTABLISHMENT; POSTING.
The rules and regulations adopted by Town Council Resolution applicable to each property shall be posted in a conspicuous place at the main entrance thereof. It shall be unlawful for any person to violate any rule or regulation so adopted.
(Ord. 746, passed 10-7-2009)
§ 12.36.060 RULES AND REGULATIONS; ENFORCEMENT.
Provisions of this chapter may be enforced as provided in Title 1 of the Town Code.” SECTION 2: Severability. That the Town Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, and section by section, and does hereby declare that any provisions of this Ordinance are severable, and, if for any reason any sentence, paragraph or section of this Ordinance shall be held invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining parts of this Ordinance.
SECTION 3: Posting. This Ordinance shall be posted according to law and shall take effect and be in force from and after 30 days after its passage and adoption.
The foregoing Ordinance was introduced at a regular meeting of the Town Council on the 5th of November 2025, and duly adopted at the next regular meeting of the Town Council on the ____ day of ________ 2025, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
Lisel Blash, Mayor
Attest:
_____________________________
Christine Foster, Deputy Town Clerk