Bay City commissioners discussed proposed updates to park rules and regulations at their Dec. 1 meeting, focusing on adding Battery Park to the list of parks where alcohol and certain conduct would be restricted and on new language describing prohibited conduct as 'loud, boisterous, vulgar, lewd, wanton, obscene' or otherwise disorderly. Staff said the changes were prompted by repeated complaints, costly damage from open fires in parks and several months of calls for service at Battery Park during the past summer.

Commissioner Tenney said she feared the language could 'effectively outlaw homelessness' and objected to singling out Battery Park, urging care not to target vulnerable people. Commissioner Cubitt and others raised legal and clarity concerns about terms such as 'loud' and 'boisterous' and asked why park rules should repeat wording already in disorderly-conduct ordinances. Staff responded that the language was recommended by the city attorney to provide clearer park-level enforcement and that park-rule citations typically carry fines while disorderly-conduct responses can lead to arrest. The public safety director said downtown businesses and the library had reported safety concerns and described several daily calls for fighting and drinking at Battery Park last summer.

Commissioners requested data before adopting any rule changes, asking staff to provide call-for-service counts covering a 6–12 month window and to explain why some parks have different alcohol rules. After discussion, Commissioner Coakley moved to refer the proposed rule updates back to staff for further work and data; Commissioner Katie Doyle seconded, there was no objection, and the commission referred the item back to staff rather than adopting the changes at the meeting.

What’s next: staff will compile call-for-service data and consult with the city attorney and park staff to refine language and comparative park-use analysis. The referral suspends immediate adoption and creates a staff-led follow-up to address the commissioners’ clarity and equity concerns.