Recreation

The City of Fort Collins Recreation Department adheres to the facility regulations below at all facilities including but not limited to: Edora Pool Ice Center, Mulberry Pool, City Park Center/Club Tico, the Pottery Studio, the Senior Center, Northside Aztlan Community Center and the Youth Activity Center; as well as the fenced confines of City Park Pool, City Park Railway, the Farm at Lee Martinez Park, and the Rolland Moore Racquet Complex.

These regulations are authorized by Section 23-140 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins.  Additional authority to enforce these regulations is set forth in Section 18-9-110, C.R.S. (Public buildings - trespass, interference - penalty), and Section 18-9-117, C.R.S. (Unlawful conduct on public property).

These regulations apply to all City of Fort Collins Recreation facilities, including but not limited to: Edora Pool Ice Center, Mulberry Pool, City Park Center/Club Tico, the Pottery Studio, the Senior Center, Northside Aztlan Community Center and the Foothills Activity Center; as well as the fenced confines of City Park Pool, City Park Railway, and The Farm at Lee Martinez Park; and the grounds and buildings comprising the Rolland Moore Racquet Complex, as well as any other tennis facilities when being used for City-sponsored tennis activities.

As used in these regulations, “Staff Member” or “Staff” refers to a City Recreation Department staff person who is present at or working in a City Recreation facility as part of his or her job duties.

The City of Fort Collins Recreation facilities are tax-supported and citizens expect and deserve a clean, enjoyable, and safe environment.  Unfortunately, the behavior of a few visitors may destroy this environment for others.  Such behaviors are referred to in these regulations as “Unacceptable Behaviors”, and include actions that may: interfere with Staff’s ability to manage the facility; interfere with another person's use of the facility resulting in injury to oneself or others; violate the law; or resulting in loss or damage to public or private property.  These regulations are intended to identify such Unacceptable Behaviors and set out both the consequences of failure to comply and the enforcement process.  Compliance with these regulations is a condition of using Recreation facilities.  At Staff discretion, engagement in behavior prohibited by these regulations may subject the individual(s) involved in exclusion from Recreation facility premises and programs and, in some cases, to legal prosecution.

A. The following Unacceptable Behaviors are prohibited in all facilities covered by these regulations:

1. Use of any facility or equipment therein for other than its intended use, or alteration of any equipment or facility;
2. Any action, event, or group of events that constitutes a violation of federal, state or local law;
3. The failure to comply with direction given by City Staff acting in the performance of their duties or interference with the performance of such duties or other operations of the facility;
4. Conduct intended to cause or causing the destruction, damage or theft of City property, or the property of others;
5. Public indecency, indecent exposure, or obscenity;
6. Any action which, in the reasonable judgment of Staff, constitutes an attempt to inflict or does inflict injury to other persons or damage to property, or which poses an unreasonable risk of such injury or damage, including running, fighting, wrestling, or climbing;
7. Any conduct or expression that in the reasonable judgment of Staff, is intended to intimidate or would be reasonably expected to intimidate, or intimidates others, or encourages or incites unlawful or otherwise prohibited conduct;
8. Any action which, in the reasonable judgment of Staff, unreasonably interferes with or obstructs the reasonable use and enjoyment by others of the facility;
9. The failure to maintain a level of personal hygiene that is non-offensive in a social or group environment;
10. Use of any facility for commercial activities not specifically authorized and arranged through recreation management, including but not limited to:
    1. sales or soliciting,
    2. marketing or conducting surveys,
    3. conducting private or public classes, lessons, clinics, workshops, trainings or other instructional activities, except to the extent that same may be carried out in a manner comparable to use of the facility by the general public user, or
    4. photographing or videotaping the facility, patrons, or activities;
11. Conduct that disrupts or obstructs any program or activity that is a program of the particular Recreation facility or any other City-sponsored activity or event;
12. Possession or consumption of food, beverages, or gum in any areas of the facility not specifically posted to permit the same;
13. Smoking, vaping or the use of chewing tobacco or other tobacco or marijuana products;
14. Use or possession of alcohol (except where authorized by the Recreation Area Manager or assigned designee) or illegal drugs, or any discernible intoxication from alcohol or drugs;
15. Using restrooms for washing clothes; shaving or bathing is prohibited. Using locker rooms for washing clothes is prohibited.
16. Use of bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards, scooters, or skates, whether or not motorized, except as expressly authorized below;
17. Possession of any animals, except use of service animals by a person with a disability in accordance with ADA regulations, or as otherwise authorized by Staff or City Policy;
18. Failure to comply with any specific rules of use or conduct posted or provided to users within any facility;
19. Possession of photographic equipment or imaging devices, including camera cell phones, in locker rooms, changing rooms, and restrooms.

B. Unattended Children
The Recreation Department welcomes and encourages children to use the materials and services of the Recreation Department. As recreation facilities are essential to the lives of children, we strive to provide useful, safe and inviting spaces for youth in all of our facilities. However, neither the Recreation Department nor its staff members act in loco parentis (in place of parents). The recreation facilities are public facilities which are open to everyone and parents or caregivers are expected to accompany children in need of supervision on recreation facility visits to ensure the safety and well-being of their children. At all times, parents or caregivers are responsible for their children’s behavior and safety. Children under the age of 8 years must be accompanied by a parent or guardian (at least 15 years of age).  If an unattended child appears to be lost, is being disruptive, or if in the judgment of staff, his or her safety is jeopardized, recreation staff will attempt to locate the parent or caregiver. If the parents or caregiver cannot be located, and the child is under the age of twelve years, the child may be placed in the care of the local law enforcement agency. The Recreation Department and its staff members will not under any circumstances be responsible for determining whether an apparent caregiver, custodian or parent is a legally authorized caregiver, custodian or custodial parent of the child.

C. The City will make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities to in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and any requirements set forth herein may be waived or altered by the Recreation Program Manager in charge of a facility as necessary to accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities desiring to access that facility.  However, visitors must be able to take care of their own health, medical and personal care needs, and must not pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others or themselves. A visitor who cannot meet their own health, medical, and personal care needs must be accompanied by a caregiver or other aide who will assume responsibility for assisting the visitor in the facility.

Staff and those supervising Staff will enforce these regulations.  A program of progressive discipline will be in effect for repeat or habitual offenders.  The City will not issue refunds to visitors who are asked to leave the facility because of Unacceptable Behavior.  Where deemed necessary or appropriate the police or other law enforcement officials may be contacted to assist with enforcement of these regulations and applicable laws.  Violations of these regulations that constitute a criminal act may result in arrest and/or the filing of criminal charges.  The City may take such alternative or additional action provided by law or in equity as it deems necessary or appropriate in response to violations of the regulations.

1. For threatening or belligerent behavior that warrants emergency assistance, the Staff Member on duty will immediately call 911 for police assistance.
2. When a Visitor Is Disruptive: The Staff Member on duty at a facility who witnesses a visitor engaging in an Unacceptable Behavior in the facility, or is made aware of that behavior by another Staff Member or visitor, shall expressly inform such person that he or she is behaving unacceptably, and shall ask the person to stop the Unacceptable Behavior.    Sometimes the Unacceptable Behavior only becomes disruptive enough, or is only identified as a problem, after it has occurred over a period of several days or weeks, or in multiple facilities.  Consequently, a Staff Member must write an Incident Report each time he or she contacts a visitor about a violation and submit each Incident Report to his or her immediate supervisor, along with any reports of prior incidents involving the same person.
3. The Next Stage: A facility visitor whose behavior does not change or stop because of a request or repeated requests from a Staff Member shall be informed that he/she must leave the facility immediately.  If he/she does not leave promptly and quietly upon direction to do so, the Staff Member shall call the Police.  The Staff Member must write an Incident Report and submit it to his or her immediate supervisor along with any reports they have of prior incidents involving the same person.
4. Repeat Offenses:  If, at a future date or time, a visitor who was previously asked to leave a facility returns to the facility or any other City of Fort Collins Recreation facility and engages in Unacceptable Behavior, the Staff Member on duty will inform the visitor of the Unacceptable Behavior, ask the visitor to stop and inform the visitor that further or continued incidents could result in loss of recreation facility privileges.
   If the visitor still does not stop the Unacceptable Behavior, the Staff Member on duty will inform the visitor that he or she must leave the facility immediately.  Depending on the nature or severity of the situation, or the risks it poses, it will be within the discretion of the Staff Member on duty to call the police.  The visitor will be told that, because of his/her repeated behavior, facility privileges have been temporarily suspended, and that he or she will not be allowed to enter any city recreation facility until disciplinary action has been finalized, and any suspension completed.  The Staff Member on duty must complete an Incident Report and submit it, along with any reports of prior incidents involving the same person, to his or her direct supervisor, who will then immediately inform the Recreation Supervisor.
5. Action Following Suspension: Once a visitor’s facility privileges have been suspended, the Recreation Supervisor must review all submitted incident reports and may, at his or her discretion, meet with the offending visitor and/or interview any witnesses to the incident(s) prior to rendering a decision on suspension.  The term of a suspension may be 1 day and up to an indefinite suspension based on the infraction and history. 

Reinstatement of suspended Recreation facility privileges shall be at the discretion of the Recreation Supervisor.  The Recreation Supervisor shall set reasonable and appropriate conditions for reinstatement of Recreation facility privileges at the time of suspension.  The terms of reinstatement shall be given to the visitor in writing, along with an explanation of the reason for the suspension and the process for appeal.  A notice of suspension is considered received on the day it is hand-delivered or emailed to the visitor, or three business days from the date of mailing, if it is mailed to the visitor.

A visitor who has been suspended may appeal the suspension decision or the conditions for reinstatement to the Recreation Area Manager by filing with him or her a written statement of appeal, including the basis of appeal, no later than seven (7) days after the visitor’s receipt of the written notice of suspension.  (If the Recreation Area Manager is making the suspension recommendation, the person making the final decision about a suspension will be the Recreation Department Director.)  The Recreation Area Manager will review the appeal in consultation with the Recreation Director.  The decision of the Recreation Area Manager must be given to the visitor in writing, along with an explanation of the basis for the decision.  That decision will be considered received on the day it is hand-delivered or emailed to the visitor, or three (3) business days from the date of mailing, if it is mailed to the visitor, and will be the City’s final decision on the matter.

NOTE:  There are instances when Staff Members at any level of responsibility may observe Unacceptable Behavior by a facility visitor.  In all cases, a full-time classified Staff Member of higher responsibility handles the recommendation for suspension and either the Recreation Area Manager or the Recreation Director handles the appeal process, depending on whether the Recreation Area Manager was involved in dealing with the original discipline. 

1. The Staff Member who handles the incident (may be a part-time employee or any fulltime staff member assigned to the facility) documents unacceptable behavior in an incident report, including his/her recommendation for suspension of the visitor.
2. The Staff Member then submits the report or reports to his/her direct supervisor, along with previous incident reports on the same visitor (if applicable). All information is then given to the Program Supervisor for recommended discipline.
3. After reviewing all the available information and conducting such investigation as is determined to be necessary or appropriate, the Recreation Supervisor upholds or denies the recommendation for discipline or reinstatement conditions. If it is decided that a suspension is appropriate, the length of the suspension is set and notification is given to the visitor in writing of the decision, the basis for the decision, and the terms of reinstatement, along with the right of appeal, as outlined above.