CEDAR SPRINGS, Mich. — The City of Cedar Springs passed a new ordinance banning camping in parks and public spaces following reports of vandalism and unauthorized camping last summer.
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The ordinance, which went into effect Jan. 21, prohibits any person from camping or storing personal property in public spaces. The new law addresses concerns from residents who contacted the city about problems in local parks.
"We want all of our residents and visitors to Cedar Springs to enjoy all of our public spaces," said Darla Falcon, Cedar Springs city manager. "This ordinance will maintain order in our parks and public spaces."
Until this year, Cedar Springs did not have an ordinance dealing with people camping in public spaces or parks. Falcon said similar ordinances are common in other communities.
"An ordinance like this is very common in many communities, so we didn't have to go far to get a draft and just tweak it a little bit to meet our needs for Cedar Springs," Falcon said.
The city worked with the Kent County Sheriff's Office, which patrols Cedar Springs, to write the new law. Sgt. Jon Paulson, the Cedar Springs unit supervisor, said officers previously had difficulty enforcing certain issues in parks.
"What we were finding in the past is we were having a really difficult time enforcing certain issues that we found in the parks," Paulson said. "I really think that it's going to be good for the community. It's good to have something in place here; if we need to enforce it, it's there. But again, voluntary compliance is what we're looking for."
City officials said the ordinance was written to address resident concerns and ensure public safety.
"When the phone rings here and people, you know, residents, visitors, whoever they are, are concerned. We take their concerns very seriously, and this is what we felt was the best way to put some rules on the books," Falcon said. "We want everybody to feel safe wherever they are at in Cedar Springs."
The ordinance aims to keep the city's parks family-friendly and welcoming to all residents and visitors.
A first violation of the ordinance is a civil infraction with fines and costs of $195. A second offense is a misdemeanor with possible jail time and/or a $500 fine.
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