Orange City adopts first reading of parks ordinance to permit earlier Mill Lake hours and restrict releases that harm wildlife

On first reading the City Council adopted Ordinance 697, a revision to Chapter 10.5 (Parks and Recreation) that clarifies permitted uses and adds targeted rules for Mill Lake Park.

Ashley Gay, Parks and Recreation Manager, told the council that staff is seeking to allow the park to open at 5 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. to accommodate early-morning users such as running groups and fitness meetups. “So we're asking council to go ahead and approve our request to open the park at 5AM, with the closing at 9PM,” Gay said.

The ordinance also tightens language around outdoor events that create pollution or hazards. Gay said staff will prohibit the release of lanterns and releasing balloons, the use of confetti cannons and other materials that create litter or pose dangers to wildlife; park users may still bring balloons but not release them. The rule was framed as a safety and clean-up measure: staff noted it can take an hour to clear confetti from a site.

The ordinance text applies citywide to parks for rules and regulations but contains time-specific language for Mill Lake. Council members asked staff to confirm that the restrictions applied broadly to city parks while the time change was specific to Mill Lake; Gay confirmed the distinction.

The council approved Ordinance 697 on first reading by roll call vote; the first-reading adoption does not finalize the ordinance and a subsequent reading is required for final enactment.

What’s next: Staff will prepare the ordinance for the second reading and ensure the code language matches the council’s direction to ban releases that harm the environment while applying the specific time change to Mill Lake Park.