Council adopts ordinance setting park hours to dawn-to-dusk with athletic exceptions

The Sydney City Council on May 13 adopted Ordinance 1870 to change city park hours to dawn-to-dusk, with exceptions for athletic events played under adequate lighting.

Chief of Police Sam Lovato, presenting the ordinance at its second reading, said the change is intended to improve public safety and give officers clearer authority to address late-night problems in park parking lots and playgrounds. "Those park hours from the dawn to dusk is what we're looking at," Lovato said, adding that the change "doesn't stop athletic events" if lighting is adequate.

Lovato told the council that enforcement is meant to curb vandalism, illegal activity and repeated damage to park fixtures and bathrooms. "When the sun goes down, it gets really hard for us to see what's going on," he said, noting that officers are often handling 911 calls between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.

A resident asked how "dawn to dusk" would be applied in practice; Lovato said the city will enforce based on visibility rather than astronomical sunrise/sunset times: "When it's dark, dark's closed ... as long as you can see is what we're looking to enforce." He said the ordinance language will explicitly allow games to continue where there is adequate lighting and where play is not interfering with public safety or peace.

The council moved through the ordinance's designation, waiver of a second reading and final adoption in a series of motions. A motion to pass Ordinance 1870 was approved by roll call, 5-0. The council also voted to publish the ordinance.

The ordinance amends sections 1062.02 and 1062.03 of the codified city ordinances to change park and pond hours to dawn-to-dusk; it preserves permitted, well-lit athletic uses. The ordinance will be published as required and take effect per the text read into the record.

Councilmembers who made or seconded the motions were recorded during roll calls; the clerk read the ordinance title into the record during the meeting.