Tavares planning board recommends parks-code update adding 'adopt-a-park' program, asks legal review on vaping and advertising

The City of Tavares Planning and Zoning Advisory Board on Thursday recommended that City Council approve Ordinance 2025-02, a package of amendments to Chapter 3 (alcoholic beverages) and Chapter 14 (parks and recreation) that adds an adopt-a-park and adopt-a-trail program, updates rules for commercial and field uses, and establishes a framework for limited park advertising.

City staff told the board the amendments were drafted with input from public works, community services, the police department, economic and community development and the city attorney, and that staff compared Lake County park rules to ensure consistency for parks inside the city's interlocal service boundary area. "The proposed amendments 'are intended to clarify regulations, enhance the usability of the affected areas 'and align with established best practices," a city planner said in the staff presentation.

Board members pressed staff on several details before recommending the ordinance. Board member Cunningham asked for clearer distinctions between "active" park uses that generate fees (for example, sports fields) and "passive" parks where no field rental applies; staff said fee structures will be clarified so commercial field users and partnered organizations are not charged the same way as passive-park uses. "Even though this section is not changing, because we're changing definitions and other portions of the code, you want to make sure that it's clear that active park use in services, recreational fields versus passive parks ... we have to separate those fee structures," Cunningham said.

Board members also raised enforcement and scope questions. Several members noted the draft smoking prohibition does not explicitly mention e-cigarettes or vaping. Antonio of public works (staff) said the drafters did not include explicit e-cigarette or vaping language but that staff would "look into it and see how James Dillon wants to handle this and ask the legal opinion." The board asked the city attorney to advise whether e-cigarettes and vaping can be regulated in the same way as combustible tobacco in city parks.

Members asked for clearer limits on where advertising would be allowed. One board member said the draft could be read to permit advertising at splash pads or nature parks; staff said the city administrator would designate appropriate locations and that the board could vest final guidance with administrative procedures rather than embedding every permitted location in the ordinance.

Other questions addressed micromobility and motorized personal vehicles. Board members discussed how the code will treat electric bicycles and similar devices, noting state vehicle-classification rules (for example, cc thresholds and speed classes) affect whether a device is treated as motorized. Staff said designated trails and connectors could allow certain devices while city parks could restrict motorized units unless specifically permitted.

After discussion, a motion to recommend approval of Ordinance 2025-02 as amended and subject to legal review passed by voice vote. Staff and the city attorney will return final language to council for consideration.

The board's recommendation does not itself change the code; City Council has the final authority to adopt ordinances. Legal review was requested on vaping/e-cigarette language, the precise fee structure for commercial field use, and detailed signage/advertising locations.

What this means locally: if Council adopts the ordinance as recommended, the city would create a formal adopt-a-park/adopt-a-trail volunteer program, clarify when private or commercial groups may use and be charged for fields, allow some forms of advertising in designated park locations, and move to clarify regulation of micromobility in parks.

Votes at the board: the Planning and Zoning Advisory Board made and seconded a motion to recommend Ordinance 2025-02; members voted by voice and the motion passed with no recorded opposition (vote was by aye voice vote; individual vote tallies not specified in the public record).