(A) The office of Parks and Recreation Director is established.
(B) The Parks and Recreation Director shall be appointed by the Town Manager/designee and shall serve until removed by the same. He or she shall be under the general supervision, direction, and control of the Town Manager or his or her designee.
(C) The Parks and Recreation Director shall have the power and duty to supervise, direct, control, and administer all matters pertaining to public recreation, including public playgrounds, public parks, and other public properties and equipment used or intended for public recreational purposes in the Town.
(D) The Parks and Recreation Director shall have the duty and authority to promulgate reasonable rules and regulations, not inconsistent with any ordinance or resolution adopted by the Town Council, for the proper administration of the Department of Parks and Recreation and for the wholesome use of public recreational facilities and equipment by the general public, to the end that the greatest benefit from the use of the facilities shall be gained by the citizens of the Town.
(E) For the purpose of properly and efficiently carrying out the provisions of this section, the Parks and Recreation Director shall have authority to employ and to discharge, within the limits of the budget and with the approval of the Town Manager or his or her designee all play leaders, playground directors, supervisors, recreation specialists, maintenance personnel, and other employees as may be authorized by the Town Council and the Town Manager or his or her designee.
(F) The Parks and Recreation Director, under the supervision of the Town Manager or his or her designee, shall enforce all ordinances and resolutions of the Town regulating parks and recreation areas and buildings and their use. The recreation staff may have the power to remove or cause to be removed and excluded from any of the recreation facilities and parks any persons violating any ordinance or resolution or any rules or regulations concerning their use for a period not to exceed 24 hours. If violators of the ordinances of any recreation facilities are participants of a recreational activity which is not scheduled to meet within the 24 hour supervision period, then the Program Coordinator, or Senior Program Coordinator or the Athletic Program Coordinator may also have the authority to suspend the violator from the next regularly scheduled recreational activity in which the violator was to participate. The Parks and Recreation Director may have the power to suspend the violator from any and all property under his or her responsibility for any reasonable time period up to 1 year.
(G) Without limiting any authority of the Parks and Recreation Director provided by the section, the Parks and Recreation Director specifically shall have the authority to designate any public properties intended for public recreational purposes in the Town for use as a dog park generally or during specified hours. Any property, or portion of property, which is so designated as use for a dog park shall have present a prominent sign indicating that it is subject to use as a dog park and including any regulations or restrictions, including hours of use, that have been promulgated for that property and used as a dog park. The Parks and Recreation Director shall have the duty and authority to promulgate reasonable rules and regulations, not inconsistent with any ordinance or resolution adopted by the Town Council, for the proper use of any dog park.
(1989 Code, § 31.01) (Res. passed 12-14-1954) (Ord. passed 2-12-1980; Am. Ord. 914, passed 6-25-2001; Am. Ord. 1509, passed 6-11-2013; Am. Ord. 2019, passed 8-9-2022)
Statutory reference:
Administration of parks and recreation programs, see G.S. § 160A-354