It was recently brought to the attention of Staff that activities such as organized balloon and lantern release are detrimental to the environment and wildlife. Staff researched the park rules of neighboring towns and found that there are rules prohibiting organized releases.
The obvious reason to prohibit lit lanterns is fire danger, but there are no rules prohibiting it on public grounds. Balloons are latex rubber that do not dissolve or disintegrate and when a balloon goes up, it will come down, somewhere. And is trash wherever it lands. Even the expensive bio-degradable balloons take up to 6 months to degrade, but the ribbons tied to them will never degrade. These items tend to end up in watersheds that eventually make their way to open rivers, lakes and to the coast.
The proposed amendment simply adds a section (d), that reads:
d. It shall be unlawful in any city park, city facility or city property to knowingly release, organize the release or intentionally cause to be released balloons, lanterns, or similar items inflated with a gas lighter than air or propelled or fueled by batteries and/or flammable materials. Exceptions would be:
1. Items released by a person on behalf of a governmental agency or pursuant to a governmental contract for scientific or meteorological purposes; and
2. Hot air balloons, drones, toys or other items that can be completely recovered without trespassing on private property after launching.
Parks Board met on Monday, January 23, 2017, and discussed this proposed amendment. They voted in favor of recommending the amendment, however, there were 2 members that voted against the recommendation citing that this would be difficult to enforce and a silly reaction to criticism from others. Staff supports the recommendation of the Parks Board. |