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North St. Paul Parks commission approves updates to Chapter 92 covering parks and lakes
Summary
The North St. Paul Parks and Recreation Commission voted unanimously to approve substantial updates to Chapter 92 (parks and lakes), clarifying park hours, strengthening protections for vegetation and littering, and updating rules for bicycles and motorized devices; staff will forward the changes to city council on April 7.
The North St. Paul Parks and Recreation Commission approved a package of updates to Chapter 92 of the city code that — among other changes — clarifies park hours, adds stronger protections for vegetation, updates littering language and modernizes rules for bicycles and motorized devices.
Vice Chair Sarah Zaratka presented the changes, saying she and Community Development Director Ken Roberts reviewed the code and compared language with neighboring communities. "Most of it had not been updated since 1989," she said, and recommended language revisions to reflect current park uses and equipment.
The revisions set the citywide park hours at 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., broaden penalties and enforcement language for damaging plantings, and add updated rules for bicycles, e-bikes, scooters and other motorized personal devices. Staff also flagged one suggested addition from a resident — a prohibition on glass beverage bottles in parks — and indicated the city rental policy already bars glass inside rented buildings. "If we want to add that language, let me know. I can do that," Zaratka said during discussion.
Commissioners debated limited exceptions tied to rentals and noted the existing park-rental rule already restricts glass in indoor park facilities. After discussion, a motion to approve the Chapter 92 amendments carried with no recorded opposition among those present. The commission approved forwarding the ordinance changes to the City Council for consideration on April 7.
The changes are intended to give staff clearer enforcement tools for park damage and litter and to make the code consistent across scattered sections that previously listed differing hours or rules. The commission and staff said the revisions should make enforcement more straightforward and provide better guidance for park users and event organizers.
Next steps: staff will transmit the approved amendments to the City Council on the scheduled date for the council’s review and final action.
