Definitions

(A) HPD – Hancock Park District

(B) Board – Hancock Park District Board of Commissioners
(C) Park – All land owned or managed by the Hancock Park District
(D) Trail – All trails owned or managed by the Hancock Park District
(E) Vehicle – Any means of motorized conveyance
(F) O.R.C. – Ohio Revised Code

Park Regulations

(A) Park Regulations were approved by the Hancock Park District Board of Park Commissioners in accordance with authority granted to it by Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1545 Park Districts.

(B) The HPD may engage in or permit select activities for authorized management, special events and programs, maintenance, medical, and law enforcement purposes irrespective of park regulations.

(C) The list of park regulations should not be construed as all inclusive. All applicable federal, state, and local laws will be enforced.

(D) A person who violates the following park regulations will be fined according to Section 3.0 Schedule of Fines and may face jail time for misdemeanor and felony charges related to park regulations governed by the O.R.C.

Posted Signs by the HPD

It is UNLAWFUL to disobey or disregard the rules, notices, prohibitions, instructions, or directions posted in the park or on a trail by the HPD.

Park Hours

(A) Visit a park or trail when closed between sunset and sunrise. Exceptions:

(1) Persons who are participating in or associated with a HPD sponsored or approved program, event, or facility.

(2) Persons who are using designated river access areas when engaged in outdoor recreation activities along the Blanchard River, such as fishing or boating.

(3) As otherwise posted and permitted by the HPD.

Facility Reservations and Permits

(A) Use or occupy any park shelter, facility, or area while posted as “reserved” or after
having been presented with an official permit to use the shelter, facility, or area for a
specific organized function by a group of persons, organization, or individual.

(B) Assemble for the purpose of holding a social gathering, special event, or recreational or
educational activity consistent with the purpose of the park or trail that may
temporarily block or obstruct use by any other person of any portion of a park or trail or
any structure or facility in a park or on a trail or any position of access to or exit from a
park, trail, structure, or facility without a permit from the HPD.

Snowmobiles

(A) Operate a snowmobile on a trail and in other areas within the park that are identified as
off limits to snowmobiles.

Vehicle Restrictions

(A) Operate or park a motorized vehicle (not including snowmobiles) in the park or on a trail except on clearly marked and designated roadways, drives, and parking spaces. Exception: Individuals with mobility disabilities using other power-driven mobility devices for the purpose of indoor and/or outdoor locomotion consistent with HPD policy.

(1) It is the policy of the Hancock Park District to permit the use of other power-driven
mobility devices limited to Segway® PT and electric bicycle (and perhaps other
mobility devices if deemed appropriate and safe, and if authorized) in parks and
facilities and on trails owned and managed by the Hancock Park District subject to
the restrictions listed below.

(2) The operator of the device must be a person with mobility impairment and shall, upon request by Hancock Park District officials or law enforcement personnel, provide credible assurance that the mobility device is required because of the person’s disability.

The presentation of a valid, state-issued, disability parking placard or card, or other state-issued proof of disability as a credible assurance that the use of the other power-driven mobility device is for the individual’s mobility disability is acceptable.

In lieu of a valid, state-issued disability parking placard or card or state-issued proof of disability, a verbal representation not contradicted by observable fact that the other power-driven mobility device is being used for a mobility disability is acceptable.

(3) The device, if used in a building or shelter, may not exceed 4 mph.

(4) The device, if used in a park, on a trail, or outside, may not exceed 10 mph.

(5) The device shall be driven on the right side of the circulation route.

(6) The device must not be operated in a dangerous or reckless manner that jeopardizes the safety of the operator, park employees, park visitors, program participants, and property.

(7) The Hancock Park District reserves the right to permanently or temporarily suspend the use of parks, facilities, and trails by the operator if doing so is in the best interest of the Hancock Park District and its employees, visitors, participants, and property.

(8) Motorized wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and similar devices approved by the
federal government as a medical device and designed primarily for use by an
individual with a mobility disability for the purpose of indoor and/or outdoor
locomotion are permitted in parks and facilities and on trails owned and managed
by the Hancock Park District.

Use of Nature Trail

(A) Leave the trail while visiting a natural area without a permit from the HPD.

(B) Ride a bicycle on a nature trail unless designated for that purpose.

Geocaches

(A) Place a geocache in the park or on a trail without a permit from the HPD.

Vandalism

(A) Cause serious physical harm to property.

(B) Damage any structure, sign, equipment, or other property located in the park or on a trail, including but not limited to graffiti.

(C) Damage ground, vegetation, or nests or remove, take or collect for one’s own personal or private use any item located in the park or on a trail without a permit from the HPD.

(D) Expand private land boundaries or otherwise encroach in any way upon a park or trail in a manner inconsistent with its intended use and purpose.

Littering and Dumping

(A) Throw, drop, discard, or place litter defined as garbage, trash, waste, rubbish, ashes, cans, bottles, wire, paper, cartons, boxes, automobile parts, furniture, glass, or anything else of an unsightly or unsanitary nature on any public property, on private property not owned by the person, or in or on waters of the state without a permit from the HPD as part of a litter collection drive or unless deposited in a receptacle designed and provided for that purpose.

Release of Plants and Animals

(A) Release any domesticated or wild animal, dead or alive, plant, flower, tree, seed, or other vegetation in the park or on a trail.

Dogs

(A) Have a dog more than three months of age in the park or on a trail without proper registration and/or fail to require the dog to wear a valid tag issued in connection with a Certificate of Registration.

(B) Have a female dog in heat in the park or on a trail unless the dog is properly controlled by a leash.

(C) Fail to keep the dog under reasonable control of some person while in a park or on a trail, which means the dog must be controlled by a leash that is not more than six feet in length while in the park or on a trail unless the dog is released in a designated off-leash area.

(D) Fail to keep a “dangerous dog” on a chain-link leash or tether that is not more than six feet in length when in the park or on a trail and to do one of the following:

(1) Keep that dog in a locked pen that has a top, locked fenced yard, or other locked enclosure that has a top

(2) Have the leash or tether controlled by a person who is of suitable age and discretion, or securely attach, tie, or affix the leash or tether to the ground or a stationary object or fixture so that the dog is adequately restrained and station such a person in close proximity so as to prevent it from causing injury to any person

(3) Muzzle that dog

Horseback Riding

(A) Ride a horse in an area other than those areas designated for horseback riding.

(B) Fail to yield right-of-way to vehicles and pedestrians where the bridle trail crosses roads, drives, or trails.

(C) Leave a horse unattended while in the park or on a trail.

Hunting and Fishing

(A) Hunt, trap, or fish without a license.

(B) Hunt or trap without a permit from the HPD.

Wildlife Harassment

(A) Catch, trap, or otherwise harass any wild animal or bird that is unrelated to approved hunting and trapping activities.

Weapons

(A) Carry a concealed handgun in any HPD building that is not used primarily as a shelter or restroom.

(B) Carry or use any firearm or dangerous ordinance in the park or on a trail while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

(C) Transport or have a firearm in a motor vehicle unless the person may lawfully possess the firearm, the firearm is unloaded, and the firearm is carried in one of the following ways:

(1) In a closed package, box, or case.

(2) In a compartment which can be reached only by leaving the vehicle.

(3) In plain sight and secured in a rack or holder made for that purpose.

(4) In plain sight with the action open or the weapon stripped if the firearm is at least twenty-four inches in overall length as measured from the muzzle to the part of the stock furthest from the muzzle and if the barrel is at least eighteen inches in length, or, in plain sight if the firearm is of a type on which the action will not stay open or which cannot easily be stripped.

(5) Discharge a firearm in the park or on a trail, or upon or over a public road or highway.

Boating

(A) Operate a gasoline powered motor boat on a lake, pond, or waterway located in the park or on a trail that is owned or managed by the HPD.

(B) Operate an electric powered motor boat at a speed that creates a wake on a lake, pond, or waterway located in the park or on a trail that is owned or managed by the HPD.

(C) Park a boat trailer in an area other than those areas designated for vehicle with boat trailer parking when space is provided for that purpose.

Boating Safety

(A) Operate a boat on a lake, pond, or waterway located in the park or on a trail that is owned or managed by the HPD without meeting all applicable safety requirements as defined by the Ohio Revised Code, including but not limited to Personal Floatation Devices.

Swimming

(A) Swim or bathe in any area, including lake, pond, or waterway located in the park or on a trail that is not designated and marked specifically for that purpose.

Games

(A) Engage in any event or activity not specifically designated for that purpose whereby an area is usurped by participants to the exclusion of others or at the risk of injury to others or damage to property.

Remote Control Models

(A) Operate a remote control model, such as an airplane, helicopter, boat, or car in the park
or on a trail without a permit from the HPD. Revised: 9/9/2014

Paintball, BB, and Air Soft Guns

(A) Discharge a Paint Ball gun, BB gun, or Air Soft gun in the park or on a trail.

Bow and Arrows

(A) Release an arrow from a bow, crossbow, or longbow that is unrelated to permitted hunting and fishing activities in the park or on a trail.

Amusements

(A) Erect or fabricate any tent, booth, stand, pavilion, or operate any ride or similar device
in the park or on a trail without a permit from the HPD.

Fires

(A) Start a fire in the park or on a trail except in fixed or portable grills or stoves provided for the purpose of food preparation, a campfire circle when reserving a campsite, or at other designated locations with a permit from the HPD.

(B) Use a portable grill or stove in shelters, on picnic tables, or on any combustible surface or material.

(C) Fail to properly extinguish a fire before leaving the immediate vicinity of the fire or after its use.

(D) Use tree limbs, firewood belonging to the HPD, or other wood products from within the park when building a fire.

Camping

(A) Pitch a tent, camp, or establish other temporary lodging or sleeping places in the park or on a trail without a permit from the HPD.

Fees

(A) Charge admission or collect fees or payment for an activity, event, service, or use of any land or facility in the park or on a trail without a permit from the HPD.

Concessions

(A) Sell, as a privilege, in the park or on a trail without a permit from the HPD.

Peddling and Soliciting

(A) Beg, hawk, or peddle in the park or on a trail.

(B) Solicit in the park or on a trail without a permit from the HPD.

Smoking

(A) Cause or permit smoking in HPD buildings.

Alcohol

(A) Have an opened container of beer or intoxicating liquor in the park or on a trail except
inside designated facilities with a permit from the HPD.

Public Indecency

(A) Appear in the park or on a trail in a state of nudity or commit, perform, or engage in any
lascivious or obscene act or behavior.

Disorderly Conduct

(A) Recklessly cause inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm to another person by:

(1) Engaging in fighting, threatening harm to persons or property, or in violent or turbulent behavior.

(2) Making unreasonable noise or an offensively coarse utterance, gesture, or display, or communicating unwarranted and grossly abusive language to any person.

(3) Insulting, taunting, or challenging another under circumstances in which conduct is likely to provoke a violent response.

(4) Hindering or preventing the movement of persons that interfere with the rights of others, and by any act that serves no lawful and reasonable purpose of the offender.

(B) Engage in conduct likely to be offensive or to cause inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm to persons of ordinary sensibilities while voluntarily intoxicated in a public place or in the presence of two or more persons.

(C) Fail or refuse to withdraw from an unlawful assembly promptly upon issuance of an order to disperse, if such order is given in a manner that a person can reasonably be expected to hear and read the order.

Schedule of Fines

Park Regulations
Ohio Revised Code (O.R.C)
Penalty: Fine

Posted Signs by the HPD
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Park Hours
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Facility Reservations and Permits
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Snowmobiles
O.R.C. 4519.48, O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$500*

Vehicle Restrictions
O.R.C. 4519.48, O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$500*

Use of Nature Trails
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
 $150-$300*

Geocaches
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Vandalism
O.R.C. 2909.05
up to $2,500

Littering and Dumping
 O.R.C. 3767.32
up to $500

Release of Plants and Animals
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Dogs
O.R.C. 955.01/955.10/955.22
up to $1,000

Horseback Riding
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Hunting and Fishing
O.R.C. 1533.10/1533.17/1533.32
$250

Wildlife Harassment
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Weapons
O.R.C. 2923.126/2923.15/2923.16/2923.162
$150-$20,000

Boating
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Boating Safety
O.R.C. 1547
$250

Swimming
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Games
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Remote Control Models
 O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Paint Ball, BB, and Air Soft Guns
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$500*

Bow and Arrows
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$500*

Amusements
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Fires
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Camping
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Fees
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Concessions
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Peddling and Soliciting
 O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Smoking
O.R.C. 3794.02
up to $2,500

Alcohol
O.R.C. 4301.62
$150

Advertisement
O.R.C. 1545.09/1545.99
$150-$300*

Public Indecency
O.R.C. 2907.09
up to $1,000

Disorderly Conduct
O.R.C. 2917.11
$150-$250

*The penalty for violations related to O.R.C. 1545.09 and O.R.C. 1545.99 includes $150 for the first offense and the higher amount within the range for all subsequent offenses. Pursuant to O.R.C. 1545.09 (C) and 1545.99, all fines collected for any violation of park regulations shall be paid into the treasury of the Hancock Park District.