Georgetown's parks and recreation facilities—most of which have been open to the public from dawn to dusk, according to city code—now have set hours from 5 a.m.-10 p.m. following City Council approval Nov. 13.

Council members voted 5-0 in support of the change with council members John Hesser and Kevin Pitts absent.

Eric Nuner, assistant director of the Georgetown Parks and Recreation Department, told the council in October prior to an initial vote on the proposal that changing open hours in city parks would offer better regulatory clarity for parks department staff and law enforcement when working with park users.

The change, which is the first amendment to the city's parks and recreation ordinance since 2012, was also prompted by the opening of the 525-acre Garey Park on FM 2243 in June, according to city documents.

The 5 a.m.-10 p.m. hours will be in effect unless otherwise authorized for special events or leases and rental agreements.

The city's ordinance on its parks and recreational facilities applies to parks, playgrounds, swimming pools, and hiking and bicycling paths.

Along with the new hours, City Council approved other changes to parks policy, including an exemption for Garey House, the wedding and event venue in Garey Park, from the city's prohibition on glass beverage containers in parks and clarification on rules that require dogs in city parks to be on leashes less than 6 feet in length except in designated off-leash areas.