Town of Turner, Maine

Town Beach Ordinance

I STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The purpose of this ordinance is to provide for the safety, enjoyment, health, and welfare

of all persons using the public beach and parking facilities at Bear Pond, to further

provide a means of maintenance, operation and protection of the public beach and

parking area, and to provide a family oriented atmosphere at an environmentally

friendly and enjoyable public beach for residents and land owners of Turner and their

accompanied guests. This ordinance is adopted pursuant to municipal home rule

ordinance authority and Title 30-A, MRSA s 3001.

II ADMINISTRATION, AUTHORITY, APPLICABILITY, and EFFECTIVE DATE

A. Administration of the public beach will be by a Board of Directors consisting of

five members appointed annually by the Board of Selectmen. The Directors are

responsible for maintenance, operation, and general stewardship of the Turner public

beach and parking area.

B. Authority to act: The Directors shall oversee all parking and beach areas and shall

adopt, establish, and as necessary, revise, with the consent of the Board of Selectmen,

any additional rules and regulations that they may deem necessary to maintain safety.

These safety rules and regulations, not inconsistent with this ordinance, shall be posted

in a conspicuous place at the facility and shall have the full force and effect of law.

C. Applicability: This ordinance shall apply to Town owned property at Bear Pond

which includes a beach and parking area.

D. Effective Date: This ordinance shall take effect upon adoption by the Town of

Turner.

III DEFINITIONS

A. "Town" is the Town of Turner, Maine.

B. "Director" is a member of the Board of Directors appointed by the Board of

Selectmen to administer the use of the public facilities at Bear Pond.

C. "Municipal Officers" means the Board of Selectmen.

D. "Beach" is the property owned by the Town of Turner adjacent to Bear Pond, Beach

Street, and Bear Pond Road.

IV GENERAL RULES

A. Conduct and Use

1. Regular opening and closing dates for swimming shall be established by the

Directors and approved by the Municipal Officers.

2. Hours: The beach area shall be open during the designated hours established

by the Directors and approved by the Municipal Officers.

3. Picnicking: Picnicking is allowed.

4. Fires: Fires shall be confined to appropriate receptacles. The Directors may

prohibit fires in times of high fire danger.

5. Offensive Behavior: No person shall engage in any indecent language or loud

noise which would be offensive to any reasonable person or engage in any

disorderly conduct or behavior tending to breach the public peace.

6. Children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by someone 16 years of

age or older.

7. Seasonal activities and use other than swimming, shall be as permitted by the

Directors with the approval of the Municipal Officers.

8. A seasonal family pass for use of the Turner Beach shall be $8.00,

A) except that any volunteer in the community that has contributed over

.40 hours of time (within 12 calendar months) - rescue, fire etc will

be awarded a seasonal pass at no cost, and

B) except for any resident that will during the course of the year volunteer to

attend to the beach site on two occasions to monitor and clean up, rake etc the

beach site during the course of the summer shall be awarded a seasonal pass at no cost.

B. Sanitation

1. No bottles, cans or other trash shall be left. Users shall carry out what they

carried in.

2. No pets allowed. This is not to be construed as limiting the use of seeing eye

or disability assistance animals.

3. No trash what so ever will be put in the portable toilets.

4. Children shall not be allowed to swim in disposable diapers. All children who

require diapers are required to wear rubber pants that will contain all

human waste.

C. Safety

1. No motorized watercraft shall be moored, launched or beached.

2. There shall be no water skiing permitted from the beach.

3. All motor vehicles shall be parked in the designated areas for parking except

for emergency and maintenance vehicles.

4. All bicycles shall be parked in the designated areas.

D. Prohibited Activities are

1. The use of soap, shampoo or other cleaning agents.

2

2. The use of glass containers.

3. Activities which endanger persons or willful damage to any public property at

the facility, including and without limiting to, changing rooms, bathrooms, fire

receptacles, fencing, trees, brush or other vegetation.

4. The use of tents or overnight camping.

5. Possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages and illegal drugs.

6. Soliciting.

V VIOLATION and PENALTY

First time and minor violations of this ordinance not involving any property damage,

injury, or cost to the Town will be enforced by means of a warning issued by an

enforcement officer as described under section VI. Subsequent violations, or violations

that result in any property damage, injury to others, or any costs to the Town may result

in more formal enforcement proceedings, whereby, a complaint will be filed on behalf of

the Town before a court of competent jurisdiction. Any person found in violation of this

ordinance by a court of competent jurisdiction shall be subject to a fine payable to the

Town of Turner of not more than $100.

VI ENFORCEMENT

This ordinance may be enforced by any duly authorized law enforcement officer, as well

as other individuals designated by the Municipal Officers or Directors.

VII SERVERABILITY

Should any section or portion of this ordinance be declared invalid by a court, the

remaining sections or portions of this ordinance shall remain in force.

DATED THIS 7th DAY OF AUGUST, 2006 BY THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN FOR THE TOWN OF TURNER MAINE