Park Ordinance Project
The revised ordinance was approved by the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners at the Feb. 22, 2022 board meeting and goes into effect on April 8.
Background
The Ramsey County park ordinance (park rules) was adopted in 1992 and last amended in 2007. The purpose is to promote the safety, health, enjoyment and welfare of everyone in their use of the parks, and to protect park property and resources.
Objectives
The ordinance revision process that occurred during 2020 and 2021 aimed to:
- Respond to long-standing community feedback about park access.
- Minimize or eliminate regulations that may be enforced in a discriminatory way, and increase racial inequity.
- Modernize the ordinance and address contemporary park issues.
Changes should result in an ordinance that is equitable, consistent and streamlined; promotes greater enjoyment of the parks; increases user safety; and protects park facilities, property and natural resources for everyone to enjoy.
Timeline
The ordinance revision process included two phases and three components - internal review, equity review and community engagement. The final review and approval took place at the Feb. 22, 2022, county board meeting.
Phase 1
From December 2020 through March 2021, staff conducted internal reviews with various Ramsey County departments. Looking at the current ordinance, they discussed in what ways it does or doesn’t:
- Treat people fairly.
- Reduce recreational conflict.
- Protect park property adequately.
- Reflect modern advances and understanding.
- Promote positive park usage.
From April through June 2021, staff convened several virtual focus groups with an explicit racial equity focus. They combed through the ordinance to uncover how it may be discriminatory and/or have a negative racial equity impact, and find potential solutions to those issues.
Results from these efforts were used to draft revisions to the ordinance and key questions for wider stakeholder engagement in Phase 2.
View results (PDF)
Phase 2
Phase 2 took place July through August 2021 to gather community feedback on the following:
- Alternative park hours.
- Alternatives to the current fines and penalties for ordinance violations.
- Alternatives for controlling the use of commercial tobacco and vaping in the parks.
- Draft changes to other sections of the ordinance.
Every part of the ordinance was open for feedback, with side-by-side comparisons of current language and revised language. In-person, live-virtual, and online tools were utilized, with specific outreach and partnerships to hear from a racially diverse group of Ramsey County residents. The summary of responses can be found below within the Community Engagement section.
Final review and approval
The revised ordinance was formally reviewed and approved by the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners in fall/winter 2021-2022.
- Nov. 2, 2021: A board workshop was held to discuss community engagement results and seek policy guidance from commissioners.
- Jan. 18, 2022: Following the workshop, a revised ordinance was developed and was presented at the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners meeting.
- Feb. 8, 2022: A public hearing was held as an opportunity for residents to comment on the ordinance before the board.
- Feb. 22, 2022: The board of commissioners approved the revised ordinance.
- April 8, 2022: The revised ordinance went into effect.
Community engagement
Engagement objectives
- Use a phased approach with early review and guidance from regulatory and legal entities, as well as key municipal partners and county committees.
- Share basic information about the ordinance, and discuss possible updates based on internal and racial equity reviews.
- Understand racial equity impacts of the current ordinance and ensure that final revisions reduce negative impacts.
- Gather community feedback on the ordinance.
Past engagement
Phase 2 community engagement took place July–August 2021 and saw a robust response.
Online survey
An online survey was open July 17–Aug. 17 to collect public feedback on main topics derived from an equity review of the existing ordinance:
- Park access.
- Tobacco use in parks.
- Fines and penalties for violations.
- All other sections of the ordinance.
Close to 1,500 participants responded to the survey, submitting over 8,673 comments on the Park Ordinance. The survey was advertised through the county website, multiple newsletters, signage throughout the park system, social media posts and paid ads to Ramsey County residents, partnership with cities, and outreach to stakeholder groups.
View the survey (PDF).
Community conversations
Two virtual community conversations were hosted on Aug. 11 and 17, 2021 to allow the public to weigh in on the draft Park Ordinance. A total of 45 people participated in this process.
Draft ordinance language shared at meetings (PDF)
Note: This draft language was presented for community engagement discussion. This is not final proposed language. Items were brought to Board of Commissioners for discussion and direction in early November 2021.
Community responses
Responses received through the online survey and virtual community conversations during the community engagement process (Phase 2) is available.
- Summary of responses (PDF)
- Compilation of all responses (PDF, 358 pages)