Denison,Texas Parks

[okiemayor]

Not sure how to take this.This town is just across the river from here

Denison, Texas, Code of Ordinances >> - CODE OF ORDINANCES >> Chapter 18 - PUBLIC PROPERTY >> ARTICLE III. - PARKS AND RECREATION AREAS >> DIVISION 3. - PARKS >>

DIVISION 3. - PARKS

Sec. 18-111. - Hunting in parks prohibited.

Sec. 18-112. - Driving vehicles or riding animals in parks and/or school grounds.

Sec. 18-113. - Damaging, removing, etc., park property.

Secs. 18-114—18-135. - Reserved.


Sec. 18-111. - Hunting in parks prohibited.

It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt any wild birds, animals or game with firearms, dogs, bow and arrow or otherwise in any park within the city.

(Code 1965, § 17-1)

Sec. 18-112. - Driving vehicles or riding animals in parks and/or school grounds.

It shall be unlawful for any person to drive or cause to be driven any motorized vehicle or motorized conveyance of any kind, or drive or cause to be ridden any animal of any kind, over, across, or along the grounds of any city park other than along and on the roadways and parking lots provided in such parks.

(Code 1965, § 17-2)

Cross reference— Traffic, Ch. 25.

Sec. 18-113. - Damaging, removing, etc., park property.

It shall be unlawful for any person to cut, pull, break, bruise, remove or in any manner injure any tree, shrub or vegetation of any kind growing in any city park or to injure, deface or in any way interfere with any chair, bench, seat or hydrant, frame, fence, gate or structure of any kind therein or thereon or connected therewith. This section shall not apply to anything done by the lawful employees of the city in the lawful performance of their duties, or under their authority or direction.

(Code 1965, § 17-3)

Secs. 18-114—18-135. - Reserved.

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

Let me save you some time

Let me save you some time: Those type clauses, that disallow "collecting", or "taking" and "alterations" and "vandalism" and "defacement" and any other such words ..... are in EVERY park in the USA. Yup, so save your time in looking up park rules wherever you go in the entire USA, if you intend to apply such verbage to metal detecting. Because without such verbage, what's to stop someone from backing up their truck to the park, and helping themselves to all the tan-bark to put in their own garden at home? Or what's to stop someone from vandalizing things, hurting or altering things, etc.... (moving the swingset, digging fox-holes, etc...). So OF COURSE "vandalism" and "alterations" and "removing" type verbage is everywhere.

Here's the catch though: all such things that can be applied to digging (the defacement and disturbance type clauses/words), all INHERENTLY infer an end result, do they not? So for example: if you leave no trace of your effort, then by logical definition, you have not "defaced" or "disturbed" or "altered" anything, nowhave you?

Sure this semantics of definitions does not address the temporary interim process of retreiving. So if that bothers you, you're going to have to forgo parks no matter where you go. Because they ALL have those rules. So I simply will not define my hobby in those terms (ie.: "detecting = vandalism" and so forth). Might someone else interpret differently? SURE. You can never please all busy-bodies. You simply have to get a tough skin, be a little discreet, be prepared to give lip service now and then, etc.... If it bothers you that the red carpet is not rolled out for your hobby (which has these connotations, no matter how you slice it), then stick to private property, and forget parks.

And sure it doesn't solve the dilema that you "took" or "collected" or "removed" things (those pesky silver coins and such). But those laws predate detecting, and as I say, although they *could* be applied to removing coins and pulltabs, so too could they stop your grade school daughter from picking up a seashell to put in her school art project. But you tell me: does anyone really care if your daughter takes home a seashell? Of course not! thus it was meant to stop persons from backing up their trucks and taking home a load of sand, or starting a mining operation, etc.... But true, given enough morphing, yeah, you can't pick a daisy!

And while your at it, be aware that you also break your state's lost & found laws the minute you find and keep an item worth more than $100 (law requires you to turn it in to the police, and go through proper channels). And if you asked enough archies if you can keep the old coin you found, they can probably find cultural heritage things to morph to you to. And how about the local utility co: don't they have rules that say "call before you dig"? (so that contractors with heavy equipment don't hit buried utilities). Read closely to their pamphlets, and notice it doesn't say HOW deep, just all 'digging'.

So really now, if you want to study it deep enough, don't stop. You can find a myriad of things that .... given enough morphing, and asking enough desk-bound bureaucrats, can be formed to tell you "no".

Therefore, unless it specifically says "no metal detecting", then no, I don't consider the things you posted to apply to me. To think otherwise (that they automatically apply), you might as well give up now. Because they are everywhere. You've chosen the wrong hobby dude. Believe me though, there are scores of parks, beaches, school yards, campgrounds, etc... that have verbage exactly like that, yet detecting has gone on, and goes on, and no one cares. But sure, if you asked enough questions (be sure to show up with a shovel in your hand lest they not understand the implications of your question), then sure, you can always find a "no".

 

[okiemayor]

Tom_in_CA;Very very Well said Never looked at it like that I do have a call in to the mayors office as well as the city manager I would like to sit down and talk face to face and show them Coin recovery with a probe no damage to the grass I know not all can do this and some coins are deeper but if I can get my foot in the door maybe we can open all the doors for this Hobby I was a mayor on this side of the river so maybe we can come together on this and who knows maybe I'll take them out hunting as I have other detectors they can use

 

[Tom_in_CA]

"I do have a call in to the mayors office as well as the city manager"

Huh? why are you still going to go ask? Sure, you *might* get a "go ahead" Sometimes that happens. (which never holds water, btw, when the next busy-body still gripes anyhow). But other times you might get an arbitrary "no" (to address your pressing issue), when in fact, no one would probably have cared. Thus if you ask me, you're risking a "no", which might simply preclude you from hunting. And worse yet, guess what will happen when that same city manager sees another md'r in the park (whom perhaps he'd have previously never given a moment's thought to before)? He'll remember the earlier inquiry and think "aha! there's one of them!" and start booting others.

If it were me, as I say, unless a specific rule exists (not those catch-all nebulous things) then I just go. Using due discretion, of course. That is to say: the lack of a specific rule doesn't mean you can just waltz over people's beach blankets, go in the middle of an archie convention, or show off your digger tool to the maintenance people. I mean, we STILL have to use a little timing sense.

 

[okiemayor]

Thank You for your Input,And you are right