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An Ordinance of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, amending Ordinance Nos. 07-06 and subsequent amendments, which establish the existing schedule of facility and recreational rates and fees for the use of County recreational and park facilities.
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Whereas, the County of Allegheny (hereinafter referred to as “County”) owns and operates certain recreational and park facilities; and
Whereas, the County desires to establish and revise rates and fees for the public use of the recreational and park facilities; and
Whereas, Article IV, Sections 2.b. of the Allegheny County Home Rule Charter vests the County’s Council with the power to establish and revise rates and fees for the public use of the recreational and park facilities; and
Whereas, Ordinance No. 07-06, as amended from time to time by Ordinance Nos. 22-08, 31-08, 45-09, 14-10, and 11-14, establishes the schedule of rental rates for the County’s park facilities, and
Whereas, in 2008 Council established a program to recognize the dedication of and contributions to the community by the County’s volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) by providing discounts for their usage of certain County park facilities; and
Whereas, it is the judgment of Council that an additional privilege should be granted to individuals who serve in the Sheriff’s reserves on an unpaid voluntary basis, in recognition of their dedication to their community;
The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Amendment of Ordinance 07-06
Section 2, entitled Parks Department Rates and Fees, of Ordinance 07-06 is hereby amended as follows:
Effective April 1, 2006 and continuing thereafter unless and until modified by subsequent Ordinance, the rates and fees for the use of County recreational and park facilities shall be as set forth in this section.
A. Refund/Readmission Policy: Unless otherwise stated no refunds or readmissions will be made at facilities. This applies to inclement weather. If a facility or mechanical failure should occur that would cause closing of a facility/program/event for the balance of that session/program, then readmission tickets would be issued.
B. Returned Check Charge: Any check that was received and is returned for insufficient funds will result in an additional $30.00 charge.
C. Discounted Rate: A fifty percent (50%) fee reduction for rental of Park Facilities is offered to non-profit organizations providing satisfactory 501(c) 3 tax-exempt documentation and/or IRS non-profit documentation. The Director of the Parks Department may, at his discretion and upon furnishing reasonable advance notice to Allegheny County Council, establish temporary promotional discount rates from time to time, as appropriate.
C.1. Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs): No later than February 1, 2009 and each February 1 thereafter, the Director of Parks shall forward an application for inclusion in the Volunteer Firefighters Park Pass Program to the Office of the Allegheny County Sheriff and each volunteer fire company and volunteer EMT company located within Allegheny County. Any volunteer fire or EMT company may participate in the program upon averring that its firefighters and/or EMTs are unpaid and upon providing a completed application to the Parks Department on or before March 1 of each year, and the Office of the Sheriff may participate upon delineating the individuals who serve in the Sheriff’s reserves on an unpaid, voluntary basis, subject to the same filing deadline. The Parks Department shall permit filing of such application via the County’s website or by e-mail at no charge. The application shall include, at a minimum, a listing of each current Sheriff’s reserve deputy’s, firefighter’s and/or EMT's name and address, together with an indication of whether each firefighter and/or EMT listed is an active or inactive member of the fire company. Upon receipt of the completed application, the Parks Department shall provide the Office of the Sheriff and applicant fire and EMT company with passes issued in the names of each active reservist, volunteer firefighter or EMT. Upon presentation, these passes shall entitle the named reservist, firefighter or EMT to free admission to County-owned swimming pools and ice skating rinks, as well as free ski lift tickets at the Boyce Park Ski Slopes.
In addition, the Office of the Sheriff and each volunteer fire and/or EMT company shall be granted one discount of up to fifty dollars ($50.00) toward the rental of any picnic grove in any County park each year, subject to grove availability, for the sole purpose of holding a volunteer fire or EMT company departmental event.
The privileges conferred by this Section are not transferrable, and may not be extended to anyone other than the individual reservist, volunteer firefighter or EMT named on the pass issued by the Parks Department. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to alter the applicability of any parks regulations or of any fees not specifically named herein.
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Section 2. Effective Date.
The provisions of this Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon final approval.
Section 3. Severability. If any provision of this Ordinance shall be determined to be unlawful, invalid, void or unenforceable, then that provision shall be considered severable from the remaining provisions of this Ordinance which shall be in full force and effect.
Section 4. Repealer. Any Resolution or Ordinance or part thereof conflicting with the provisions of this Ordinance is hereby repealed so far as the same affects this Ordinance.