City seeks input on park rules; forum set for Aug. 9

The City of Redmond is considering updates to current park rules and is seeking public input during open meetings in the month of August. Park rules are the laws that address criminal and civil behaviors on city park and trail properties.

There will be a public forum Aug. 9 at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center, 16600 N.E. 80th St. From 5:30-6 p.m. there will be an open house with staff, from 6-6:45 p.m. there will be a presentation on possible revisions and from 6:55-8 p.m. there will be a question-and-answer session with staff.

The park rules can be found in Section 9.32 of the Redmond Municipal Code (RMC) and were last updated in 1994. The current rules may not be meeting the needs of Redmond’s changing population or new and planned facilities. Revisions may be needed to ensure community amenities are safe, clean, welcoming to all—and most importantly—reflect what users want to see and experience.

A team of city staff from parks and recreation, police, fire, planning and communications is working on proposed revisions. The staff is working closely with public advisory commissions and committees in addition to various community groups to study issues and collect input.

The city is asking the public to join the conversation and provide feedback on the proposed changes to park rules. In August, several meetings will be open to the public and residents can share their opinions. For a schedule of these meetings, visit www.redmond.gov/parkrules. This webpage also includes the current code, potential revisions, an online poll to provide feedback through Aug. 15 and a place to sign up for email updates.