City of Lake Elmo, MN

Purpose & Intent
The purpose of this policy is to establish a fair and equitable distribution of the limited City of Lake Elmo park facilities. This policy governs the use of fields, shelters, and other facilities that reside in our park facilities by the City itself, school districts, athletic organizations, community groups and the general public.

It is the intent of this policy to classify & guide potential users / residents of Lake Elmo of these facilities that may wish to use these facilities exclusively for their activity for a specific amount of time into a priority system that best meets the ever changing needs of the City of Lake Elmo.

User Priorities
Priority 1 – City of Lake Elmo
Priority 2 – Affiliated School Districts
Priority 3 – Affiliated Youth and Adult Athletic / Civic Organizations
Priority 4 – Non-Resident / Non-Resident Groups

Parks Available for Field Reservations
The City of Lake Elmo will begin taking park reservations on January 15th each year.
The City of Lake Elmo has (6) distinct parks available for field or hard surface courts (pickle ball, tennis and basketball, etc.) reservation and exclusive use. They are:

• VFW Park
• Lions Park
• Tablyn Park
• Pebble Park
• Reid Park
• Demontreville Park

For the purpose of fairness and equitable access each of the above parks can be reserved up to (3) hours per reservation. Athletic organizations seeking larger blocks of time or for the purpose of a tournament / scheduled competitive sporting event may be approved according to the user priority above.  A deposit of $50 per daily reservation or $500 for the season for organized athletics must be provided at the time of reservation. The deposit will be returned after the event or end of the season provided the park facility is not damaged or left unkept. Failure to clean up the facilities after each use may be grounds for canceling a season long reservation. All other parks with recreational fields or hard surface courts can be used on a first come first serve basis.

Any special requests for amenities and or services (i.e. additional restrooms, soccer goals, dumpsters) must be requested at the time of reservation and may incur additional charges.

If two entities are vying for the same fields or courts, the entity with the higher priority rating will prevail. If two entities are vying for the same field or court and have the same priority rating, the entity that serves the higher number of Lake Elmo residents will prevail.

Park and Shelter Reservations for Events and Other Uses
Lake Elmo city parks and shelters may be reserved for exclusive use to accommodate small events requiring additional space beyond field use. Examples may include run/walks, company picnics, family reunions, wedding receptions, and other events with less than 100 attendees. Parks can be reserved for up to 6 hours per reservation, with reservations made beginning January 15^th for that year. A $50 deposit ($50 deposit and $50 use fee = $100 for non-Lake Elmo residents) along with a park event reservation form must be presented at time of reservation. Users of parks are required to clean facilities after use including picking up all refuse on and around grounds and shelter, wiping off tables, and sweeping the hard surface of area used. Failure to clean the area as defined above will result in the loss of the $50 security deposit.

The concession stand at Lions Park may be rented out in conjunction with an activity utilizing the field/courts or as a stand-alone event.  The fee for use of the concession stand is $25/day for Lake Elmo residents or $75/day for non-Lake Elmo residents.  For organized athletics using the concession stand in conjunction with the use of the field, a season long fee of $500 is applicable. A $50 deposit is required in addition to all fees for use of the concession stand.

Public events that are expecting more than 100 people in attendance, may be required to attain a special event permit.

City Provided Lights
Field illumination is provided at Lions Park and VFW field. The fee for use of the ballfield lights are $20 per reservation or $150 per season for organized athletics. Organizations using the facility under reservation must turn the lights out (20 minutes) after completion of activity or be penalized $30 to offset utility costs. Hard surface court lights are provided at Lions, Pebble and Tablyn Parks. 

Sportsmanship / Behavior
The City of Lake Elmo has provided (21) parks and open spaces for public enjoyment. To insure that park use is fun, comfortable, and pleasant experience the following rules of use have been established:

1. In the use of athletic fields, good sportsmanship rules apply to all players, parents, coaches and fans involved;
2. Programmed youth sports activities must be chaperoned by adults;
3. Electronic amplification for music or voice projection and  artificial lighting not provided by the City of Lake Elmo must be approved in writing and must cease at dusk;
4. No smoking, alcohol or illegal drugs;
5. No Open fires;
6. No glass beverage containers
7. No picking of flowers, plant materials, or physical contact with shrubs or trees unless otherwise designated as part of a nature education program;
8. All pets must be leashed at all times;
9. No solicitation of funds or sales of merchandise;
10. Litter pick-up and disposal in the responsibility of the reserving entity. Trash must be bagged, sealed and placed in the park’s trash receptacle. Entity may be charged if the City staff has to provide this service;
11. No parking on turf areas, with the exception of unloading and loading of sporting equipment or gathering supplies. Parking in only assigned areas;