Ordinance No. 133 Camping Ordinance

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CITY OF GEM LAKE, RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA ORDINANCE NO. 133 AN ORDINANCE PROHIBITING UNLAWFUL CAMPING AND PROVIDING FOR ABATEMENT AND PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION THEREOF. City Attorney Summary This Ordinance prohibits the misappropriation of City property for personal use and promotes the public health, safety, and welfare by restricting camping, which negatively impacts City property and facilities. By restricting camping, this Ordinance ensures that City property remains in a clean and sanitary condition and accessible for its intended uses by all members of the public. This Ordinance also authorizes the City Council to allow for City resources to be utilized to clean-up camp facilities and camp paraphernalia on City property and for the recovery of the City's costs and expenses incurred in association therewith. WHEREAS, through its legislative enactments, the City Council made clear its intent to prevent the misappropriation of City property for personal use and to promote the public health, safety, and welfare by ensuring that City property remains accessible and usable by all members of the public for the purposes for which such public property is intended and by ensuring that City property remains in a clean, sanitary, and accessible condition; and WHEREAS, the public areas within the city, including streets, sidewalks, parks, public buildings, and public land, should be readily accessible, free from obstruction, and available to the public at large for use in a safe and healthy manner; and WHEREAS, the use of these areas for camping purposes interferes with the ability of residents and the public at large to use the areas in the healthy and safe manner for the uses intended; and WHEREAS, such camping activity can constitute a public health and safety hazard, which adversely impacts other members of the public, neighborhoods, industrial, agricultural, and commercial areas; and WHEREAS, updates to the Gem Lake Municipal Code are necessary in order to address issues associated with camping within the City THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GEM LAKE ORDAINS: SECTION 1. TITLE AND PURPOSE. This Ordinance may be cited as the "GEM LAKE PROHIBITION AGAINST CAMPING CODE". The purpose of this Ordinance is to protect the public health, safety and general welfare of the people of the City. The public areas within the city, including streets, sidewalks, parks, public buildings and public land, should be readily accessible and available to residents and the public at large for use in a safe and healthy manner. The use of these areas for camping purposes interferes with the ability of residents and the public at large to use the areas in the healthy and safe manner for the uses intended. Such camping and its attendant negative effects can constitute a public health and safety hazard, which adversely impacts other members of the public and neighborhoods, as well as industrial, agricultural, and commercial areas. A purpose of this Ordinance is to maintain public lands, streets, sidewalks, alleys, ways, creeks, waterways, parks, playgrounds, recreation areas, plazas, open spaces, lots, parcels and other public areas within the City, in a clean, sanitary and accessible condition. Nothing in this article is intended to interfere with otherwise lawful and ordinary uses of public property. SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS. The following definitions shall apply to the interpretation and enforcement of this Ordinance. 2-1. Camp. To place, pitch or occupy camp facilities; to live temporarily in a camp facility or outdoors; to use camp paraphernalia. 2-2. Camp Facilities. Include, but are not limited to, tents, huts, vehicles, vehicle camping outfits or temporary shelters. 2-3. Camp Paraphernalia. Include, but are not limited to, bedrolls, air mattresses, cots, beds, sleeping bags, hammocks and similar equipment. 2-4. Establish. To set up or move equipment, supplies or materials on to public property to camp or operate camp facilities.