The Plain City Council voted to restrict long-term camping at Pastime Park and to close the campground for January, February and March 2026 while staff finalize a broader rule update. The council also approved a separate restriction limiting consecutive camping to 30 days.

The changes follow extended discussion among council members and comments from residents about balancing recreational use with concerns about long-term occupancy. Craig (resident) told the council, "We all want the same thing, safe, vibrant, well maintained, Pastime Park that serves as a gathering place for families," and urged a resident-priority variance and clearer manager discretion.

Why it matters: The council framed the changes as an effort to preserve the campground as a recreational amenity for Plain City residents while reducing instances of semi-permanent occupancy that officials said were eroding the park's recreational character.

Council discussion and vote details: Miss Ferguson (Council member) described Parks & Rec committee recommendations and said committee members had been “comfortable” at a six-month maximum but would accept a three-month maximum if council sought a shorter limit. Multiple council members debated alternatives including a two-week consecutive stay model used at some state parks, a monthly reset approach and whether to cap aggregate days per year.

After amendments and separate motions, the council took three distinct steps: it approved a motion to close the campground for January–March 2026 (mover: Mayor; second: Mister Lewis); it approved a motion to limit consecutive camping to 30 days (mover: an attending council member; second: unspecified in the record); and members discussed, but did not adopt at that time, a proposal to stop accepting new reservations for November and December to avoid displacing current campers. Roll-call acknowledgements occurred at the meeting; available verbal votes recorded include "Mister Lewis: Yes," "Mister Senz: Yes," and "Mister Cherry: Yes." The meeting record indicates the motions passed, but a formal, complete roll-call tally for each motion was not read in full during the transcript excerpts provided.

Public input and operational details: Resident speaker Craig urged three near-term policy measures: a variance option for residents in good standing, allowing residents to reserve two weeks ahead of the general public, and giving the park manager reasonable discretion to address unique situations. Council members also discussed whether background checks would be required under a shorter limit (a council member said they would not at that time).

Next steps and limitations: Council members directed staff and the Parks & Rec committee to draft the formal ordinance or rule language implementing the winter closure and the 30-day consecutive-limit, and to return with specific text, enforcement procedures and a plan for communicating changes to current campers. The council did not adopt a permanent aggregate-days-per-year cap in the public portion of the meeting; that issue remained under discussion. The transcript does not specify enforcement mechanics, fees or appeal procedures for variances, which council members said staff would prepare.

Context: Chief McKee (Police Chief) provided historical context in a prior report and councilmembers referenced Parks & Rec committee input during debate. Councilmembers framed the measures as operational (park rules) rather than a regulatory change requiring external approval.