In order for public parks to be safe for the general public, it is important to have rules and regulations, which regulate conduct in the parks.

Hours of Operation

Parks shall be open to the public from sunrise to sunset unless other hours are posted or when there is a Park District sanctioned event. Certain facilities within a park may have hours apart from the overall park and in such case will be approved by the Board and posted.

Animals In The Park

Dogs, that are on a leash and under control of the owner, are permitted to be in the parks. Dogs may not be on any athletic field or surface (baseball field, soccer field, tennis courts, etc.). No other animals are permitted to be in the parks or on District property, except as expressly authorized by the Executive Director in writing or as expressly authorized herein.

No person shall molest, trap or kill any animal, fowl or reptile or disturb the nests thereof in or upon any Park District property.

Because there is no village sidewalk adjacent to Gilbert Avenue along the western border of Gilbert Park, pets on leash and under the control of its owner(s) may be walked:

  • On the park sidewalk along the western border which connects to the Village sidewalks at the northwest and southwest corners of the park, and
  • Upon the parkway between the sidewalk and Gilbert Avenue.

Pet owners are responsible for removing any waste deposited by their pet and placing the waste in a proper container.

Any animal found within the park system in violation of this section may be apprehended, removed to the animal shelter, public pound or any other place provided for that purpose and impounded, all at the expense of the owner.

Seeing-eye dogs for the visually impaired are expressly excluded from this section and are authorized to be within the park system.

Limitation On Controlled Access

No person shall call or hold any public meeting, give a concert or public entertainment of any kind in or upon any Park District property, or exercise exclusive control or dominion over Park District property without the express written consent of the Park Board, first had and obtained.

Posting

No person shall post, affix, or otherwise display any placard, notice, bills, advertisement, or other paper of any kind on any structure within or upon Park District property, nor shall any person distribute, cast, throw or place any of such matter in or about any Park District property without the express written consent of the Park Board first had and obtained.

Solicitation, Trading, Barter, Begging

No person shall sell, buy, exchange, or offer to sell, buy or exchange anything, or do any begging, or take up any collections, or solicit or receive anything of value in or upon any Park District property except with the written consent of the Director or the Park Board.

Dumping

No person shall deposit, dump, throw or place any waste, debris or rubbish in or upon any part of the Park District property except that paper and other refuse matter which may be designated by the Director by sign or other notice shall be deposited in receptacle(s) or other designated place(s) provided for that purpose by the Director. No person may deposit any garbage, waste or debris into any receptacle that was not gathered on the site in the course of normal, lawful use of park facilities.

Trees and Shrubs

No person shall climb upon, injure or deface any tree, shrub, plant, turf or other property of the Park District.

No person shall bring into or upon the Park system any tree, shrub or plant or any newly plucked branch or portion of a tree, shrub or plant, without the express written consent of the Park Board first had and obtained.

Fire

No person shall light or make or use any fire in or upon any portion of the Park District property, except such portions thereof as may be designated by the Director for such purpose and then only under such regulations as are prescribed by him and authorized in writing first had and obtained. No person may misuse any refuse container or receptacle by depositing into it any hot coals or other hot or burning substance.

Controlled substances, Alcohol and Smoking

No person shall possess, consume or sell any intoxicating beverages or substances of any kind or nature in or upon Park District property.

No person shall bring within, sell, give away, consume, inhale or ingest any controlled or hallucinogenic substances in or upon any Park District property.

The smoking of cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco is prohibited in all buildings on Park District property.

Firearms, Weapons and Pyrotechnic Devices

No person shall have, carry, and/or use any gun, pistol, knife or any other potentially lethal instrument or harmful gaseous substance, or any other dangerous weapon while within the parks.

No person shall possess, ignite or use any type of firecracker, sparkler, explosive or other pyrotechnic device within the parks.

Sound Amplification

No person within the Park District system shall play or operate any sound amplification device including radios, television sets, phonographs, tape decks, public address systems, amplified musical instruments and the like, or operate any other energy amplification device in a manner which may reasonably be expected to annoy other persons in the park or surrounding area.

Tennis, Golf and Ice Hockey

When any of the Park District tennis courts are fully occupied, no person shall be allowed to play upon those courts without displaying the current Park District identification tag, if tags have been issued after the effective date hereof by said Park District, upon the annual payment of a resident fee or a non-resident fee, set by the Park District.

No person shall play or practice golf in or upon any Park District property.

No person shall play or practice ice hockey in or upon any Park District property.

Playground Equipment

No person shall use or operate playground equipment in a manner other than that for which it was intended, nor in any way that may endanger the safety of any person or property.

Power Models, Toys and Rocketry

No person shall start, ignite, fly or use any fuel powered jet-type rocket or electrical powered model aircraft and rockets in any park area.

Model cars and toy cars shall be permitted only in non-pedestrian or non-restricted areas and may not be powered by any combustible fuel type engine.

Bicycles, Skateboards, Roller Skates and Rollerblade's

No person shall ride a bicycle, skateboard, roller skates or rollerblades on any path, trail, roadway, athletic field, spectator area, public area or other area designated and posted as prohibiting bicycles, skateboards, roller skates and/or rollerblades.

No person shall carry another person on the handlebars, frame, or fender, or ride a bicycle except on a suitable seat attached thereto for such a purpose, or operate a bicycle, skateboard, roller skates or rollerblades in a reckless manner so as to endanger pedestrians or themselves.

No person shall park, or leave unattended, any type of bicycle in a manner that totally or partially impedes or blocks any pedestrian or vehicular traffic or access ways.

Camping and Sleeping in Parks

No person shall camp within any park 

No person shall sleep in any park between dusk and sunrise the following day.

Aviation and Airspace

No person shall voluntarily bring, land or cause to descend or alight upon park lands any airplane, flying machine, balloon, parachute or other apparatus for aviation except by written permission of the Board first had and obtained. Any landing other than one caused by mechanical or structural failure of the aircraft or any of its parts shall be deemed to have been made voluntarily.

Motorized Vehicles

No person shall drive any automobile, truck, motorcycle or other motorized vehicle within any of the parks of the District except upon the designated roadways and parking areas provided for driving or parking the same, except Park District employees in the performance of their duties.

  • No vehicle shall be driven upon any roadway with in the parks at a speed which is greater than is reasonable and proper with regard to traffic conditions, or which endangers the safety of any person or property.
  • No person may drive a vehicle upon any roadway of the Park system at a speed that is greater than five miles per hour (5 mph).
  • No person may operate a vehicle in such a manner so as to cause or produce unnecessary loud, raucous, excessive or unusual noise, including, but not limited to, the racing of a motor, the continuous sounding of a horn or other signal device, the creation of tire friction by sudden, unnecessary motor acceleration or rapid turning or weaving, or the failure to have a properly operating muffler.

No person shall operate or cause to be operated any motor vehicle anywhere in the parks that is not licensed without first obtaining a permit from the Director, and then only in those areas of the parks so specified by the Director. Vehicles subject to this provision include, but are not limited to snowmobiles, go-carts, trail bikes, mini-bikes, and other such all-terrain, off the road vehicles.

No person, except those having business in the Park District system, shall drive any vehicle having a gross weight of 10,000 lbs. or more upon any road or driveway of any of the parks of the District.

No person in charge of a motor vehicle within the Park District shall permit it to stand unattended without first stopping the engine and removing the ignition key.

No person shall park, stand or otherwise stop a vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the direction of a police officer or traffic control device, in any of the following places:

  • On lawn areas and grounds.
  • In front of public or private driveways or loading zones.
  • In any position to block another vehicle legally parked.
  • At any place where the District has posted official signs prohibiting parking.
  • In any position that obstructs or interferes with the travel of other vehicles on a roadway or the use of any park facility within the District.
  • Within fifteen (15) feet of a fire hydrant or a traffic control signal or sign.

No person shall park any vehicle in designated parking areas of the District beyond the normal closing hour of the park system except where an individual is attending a function where the Board of Commissioners has granted permission for a later closing hour.

It is unlawful for any person to operate any snowmobile in or on Park District property.

Any vehicle parked or standing within the park system in violation of any law, ordinance, or rule is hereby declared to be a public nuisance. Such vehicle may be removed and impounded and the owner or person entitled to possession of the vehicle shall pay all charges and expenses arising out of any action taken hereunder.

Permits

Any act provided under this code or any other ordinance or rule of the District, provided such act be not otherwise prohibited by law or ordinance, shall be lawful to the extent authorized or permitted under the provision of a permit issued or permission granted by the District.

Permits may be issued and permission granted only upon the payment of such fees and deposits as may be established by the District.

All terms for the issuance of the permits and granting of permission must be strictly complied with, and any violation shall be grounds for revocation of said permit.

Any group may be allowed to reserve designated areas in certain parks by permit .

Large groups (over thirty people) shall be required to reserve outdoor areas in certain parks by permit. Large group permit applications must be accompanied by a deposit established by the District, such deposit to be refunded provided the group has left no litter and has cleaned up the area that the group has used.

Unlawful Use of Permits

  • It is unlawful within the Park District for any person to display or permit to be displayed or have in his possession any canceled, revoked, suspended, fictitious or fraudulently altered permit.
  • It is unlawful within the Park District for any person to lend his permit to any other person or knowingly allow the use thereof by another.
  • It is unlawful within the Park District for any person to display or represent as his own any permit not issued to him.
  • It is unlawful within the Park District for any person to permit any unlawful use of a permit issued to him.

Penalties For Violations

Any person violating any clause or provision of any section of this ordinance shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00), nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) for each convicted offense.

Any person violating any of the provisions of this manual may be forthwith evicted from the parks and or other places under the control of the Park District.

Any person violating any clause or provision of any section of the ordinance and having caused damage to the buildings, property or equipment of the Park District shall make restitution in addition to any fine and penalty for such damage in accordance with Section 8-1(e) of the Park District Code.

Sports Conduct and Regulations

These regulations shall govern individuals in all athletic activities operating within the jurisdiction of the Park District, whether in organized activities or when using Park District facilities with or without the District's permission.

No person shall behave in any manner that is unsportsmanlike, insulting, provoking, abusive, potentially harmful, or physically harmful toward any other person.

No person shall consume, possess or be under the influence of any type of alcoholic beverage, narcotic or illegal drug.

No person shall use abusive, profane or other provoking language to other players, officials or spectators.

Penallties and Sanctions for Prohibited Sports Conduct

The Park District Program Supervisor, after investigating the facts and circumstances of the alleged sports conduct misbehavior, shall have the discretion to determine whether any individual has engaged in behavior prohibited by Section 550 of these park rules. The decision to impose sanctions will be at the sole discretion of the program supervisor, subject only to the individual's right to appeal. Persons convicted of violating other sections of this manual will be subject to penalties in addition to those imposed by this section.

Umpires and/or the program supervisor may expel from the game or the ball field area any player or team representative who uses profanity.

Any player possessing, consuming or under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or illegal drug will be suspended.

Any spectator possessing, consuming or under the influence of and alcoholic beverage or illegal drug will be escorted from the park.

Any individual who has engaged in prohibited physical conduct will be not be permitted the use of Park District athletic facilities for a twelve month period. Use may be reinstated only by permission of the Board of Commissioners after that period.

The program supervisor may, at his own discretion, suspend for a period of two weeks any individual who engages in any other prohibited conduct. Any individual who repeatedly violates the standards of conduct set forth in these regulations may, at the discretion of the Director or the Board of Commissioners, be subject to extended suspensions.

Forfeits

A fee will be charged to any team that forfeits a contest according to the rules of that team's activity. The fee is required to be paid in advance of the next game or season, or the team will not be permitted to play. If a team is expelled from a league, no refund will be made. An expelled team will not be eligible to participate in the following season's games. A team forfeited out of the league will have all games, played and/or scheduled, nullified in that season.

Protests, Appeals and Reinstatement Procedures

Protests against rules must be made verbally to the referee at the time of the alleged violation. No protest will be allowed if the protesting captain refused to play out the game. A written protest must follow no later than the end of the next working day, accompanied by a required fee. The team captain must include a full written description of the situation and must cite all pertinent rules. Captains of both teams must be notified of the protest. Protests will be decided solely by the program supervisor. If a protest is upheld, the required filing fee will be refunded. All decisions on protests are final.

Appeals of sanctions and suspensions may be made to the Board of Commissioners at a regular meeting of the Board. The individual may present his case. The Board may receive evidence from other participants, witnesses or staff. If the individual making the appeal so wishes, he may have an attorney and/or court reporter present at his own expense. The determination of the Park Board will be final. The appellant will be notified of the Board's decision within fifteen days of the meeting.

After suspension time, or the period of sanction, has expired, an individual who is required to seek permission of the Board of Commissioners to be allowed the use of Park District facilities may apply to the Board at any regular meeting for that permission.