§ 9-2022. PERMIT REQUIRED FOR CERTAIN USES OF PARKS.

(a)

Required; scope.

Any individual, organization, corporation, association, society, fraternity, club, order or group of whatever kind desiring the use of the public parks owned or controlled by the City as the location for a rally, demonstration, march, public speech, public meeting or other similar activity shall make written request therefor not less than seventy-two (72) hours prior to the date of the intended use. This section shall apply only to assemblages where the expected attendance will be more than one hundred (100) people. No such assemblage may be held except during daylight hours.

(b)

Distribution of food prohibited.

No individuals or group shall serve or distribute meals or food of any kind in or on any City park or greenway unless such distribution is pursuant to a permit issued by the Parks, Recreation and Greenway Director.

(c)

Application; information.

The application shall be submitted to the Chief of Police and shall state the name of the individual or organization and the name and address of its principal officers and of its directors or other governing body and shall also contain such other pertinent information as may be required by the Chief of Police in order to clearly identify the organization submitting the request and the individuals principally engaged in the conduct of its affairs. The request shall state the use to which the public property shall be put and the date and hour for which the use is requested and the expected duration of such use.

(d)

Determination by Police Chief.

If the Chief of Police shall conclude that the requested use will not hinder or impede any regularly established use of the parks and will not adversely affect their care, protection or maintenance or create a nuisance by such use, the Chief of Police shall grant permission for such use. If the Chief of Police shall determine otherwise, the request shall be denied.

(e)

Weapons prohibited.

No person shall openly carry or possess at any such meeting or assemblage any firearms or other deadly weapon as defined in §9-2021 herein. No person shall carry or possess a legally permitted concealed firearm at any such meeting or assemblage if the same is held at a playground, athletic field, swimming pool, or athletic facility as defined in G.S. 14-415.23.

( Code 1959 , §16-29.01; Ord. No. 1998-440, §2, 10-21-98; Ord. No. 2011-989, §3, 12-6-11)

Editor's Note: Ord. No. 1998-440, §2, adopted Oct. 21, 1998, provided for the relettering of the former subsection §9-2022(b) as (c) and added a new subsection (b) as set out herein. That addition necessitated the relettering of subsections (c) and (d) as (d) and (e).