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Board weighs metal-detector use in parks amid irrigation and liability concerns
Summary
After staff found a person digging near irrigation lines, the board discussed banning soil-disturbing metal-detecting activity in parks, requiring utility locates, or limiting detectors to non-irrigated areas; staff said the city attorney advised against soil disturbance that risks infrastructure damage.
Mitchell park staff raised concerns Dec. 24 about people using metal detectors and digging in park turf, pointing to active irrigation lines and other buried infrastructure that could be damaged.
Staff said they spoke with the city attorney and were "adverse to anything that would disturb the soil," noting that some detectors prompt users to dig 8–12 inches and that irrigation wiring and pipes run under park turf. "I don't think you should dig here anymore," staff said after encountering a person with a shovel in a park boulevard.
Board members discussed limiting metal-detection activity to hand trowels, requiring utility locates before digging, excluding certain park areas (including some lakebed or irrigation zones), or banning soil-disturbing detection altogether. Members flagged enforcement difficulty and recommended involving engineering and legal staff before adopting rules.
No formal regulation was adopted; staff said they will seek additional input and bring a recommendation back to the board.
