(A) General. The Park Rental and Use Policy of the village is hereby established to provide a systematic method by which parks and park amenities may be reserved by the residents of the community. A reservation is not required for park use for occasional play. For multiple activities or special use (which includes use by a resident or groups, multiple days, or week play for a designated area) a permit is recommended and will guarantee use for the dates and times specified on the permit. All village playground areas shall remain open for public access and public pathways located within any village park shall remain open to the public at all times. Occasionally, parks may be excluded from the reservation availability at the discretion of the village.
(B) Objectives. The objectives of this policy are:
(1) To provide maximum utilization of parks through centralized scheduling.
(2) To provide an impartial distribution of park amenities to the various community groups who wish to reserve.
(3) To plan cooperatively with other community agencies to enhance individual and group recreational needs.
(4) To provide recreational activities which take into consideration the needs of the community.
(5) To provide the best possible maintenance of the parks using available manpower and monetary resources.
(C) Administration. This Policy shall be administered by an officer or employee of the village designated by the Village Manager, and referred to herein as the Park Administrator. This section does not create a new employment position.
(D) Priorities. In scheduling the use or reservation of a park or park amenities (defined as an area of a park containing special recreational facilities, such as a pavilion, athletic field, etc.) the Park Administrator shall apply the following priorities:
(1) Uses of athletic fields established pursuant to written agreements with the village (e.g., with baseball and soccer leagues) shall have absolute priority over all other uses of athletic fields.
(2) Festivals with a history of at least three consecutive years (e.g., the Sweet Corn Festival) and not involving athletic fields shall have absolute priority over all other non-athletic uses.
(3) Other uses shall be prioritized in the following order where there is a conflict:
(a) Use by the Village Recreation Board or other organ of the village;
(b) Use by the Ball-Chatham School District;
(c) Use by units of government other than the Ball-Chatham School District, the boundaries of which overlap the boundaries of the Village of Chatham;
(d) Use by of nonprofit corporations and associations;
(e) Use by private individuals;
(f) Use by for-profit business entities;
(g) Use by units of government, the boundaries of which do not overlap the boundaries of the Village of Chatham;
(h) Within groups (d) and (e) above, residents' groups (groups with 80% or more village residents or nonprofit organizations with a business office in Chatham) shall be given priority over nonresident groups.
(4) Parks and park amenities may be used on a drop-in basis by any group or individual without a reservation on a first come, first served basis, so long as the park or amenity has not been previously reserved by another group. In case of inclement weather, the Village Park and Recreation Department shall make the final decision regarding use of the park or park amenities.
(5) The Park Administrator's determination of priorities shall be final.
(E) Requests for reservations.
(1) Organizations, groups and individuals desiring to reserve parks or park amenities shall complete an application for reservation designed by the Park Administrator. Each application shall designate a responsible contact person or persons, who shall:
(a) Sign the application;
(b) Agree to be responsible for any damage to village property caused by participants of the event;
(c) Acknowledge receipt of the park use policy; and
(d) Agree that the permit may be revoked for failure to adhere to the park use policy.
(2) Reservation requests shall be approved beginning on the following dates:
(a) Spring Season (March - May): February 15.
(b) Summer Season (June - August): April 15.
(c) Fall Season (September - November): July 15.
(d) Winter Season (December - February): November 15.
(F) Other regulations regarding reservations.
(1) Any individual, organization, entity or group wishing to reserve a park or park amenity for use shall have an approved reservation permit prior to publicly advertising the use of the park or location, either for a single use or multiple use requests.
(2) A multiple use request may not exceed more than three days without the consent of the Village Board as in, for example, a festival such as the Sweet Corn Festival. Some activities may be determined to be not appropriate for specific parks due to location, use, or overall function of the park.
(3) The requesting party shall include all activities or uses of the park when making the request, sufficient for the Park Administrator to determine priorities.
(4) At the time of application, all special requests must be indicated in detail on the reservation form. These include, but are not limited to, bringing in tables and chairs, inflatable amusement equipment, selling concessions (including items to be sold), selling of miscellaneous items for fund raising or profit, extended park hours use, use of a public address system, admission charges, additional maintenance, use of snow fence, and water or electrical access.
(5) Applicants shall state in writing that they have reviewed and will comply at all times with the regulations for use of the parks, § 94.09 of this Code.
(6) Events attracting more than 100 participants may present public safety issues and may otherwise disproportionately impact the parks. As a part of confirming the reservation for use the police will be consulted regarding potential impacts to the parks and village public safety.
(7) Fees for large events are subject to a surcharge based on anticipated costs of cleanup by village personnel. Fees will be estimated in advance by Park Administrator. Large group events may be subject to additional fees for public safety and traffic control.
(Ord. 13-49, passed 12-10-13)