Missouri City officials proposed new policies for the use of the city’s parks and athletic fields, while recommending new guidelines for the installation of telecommunications equipment by wireless service providers during a special city council meeting Monday night.

 

Athletic field permits discussed

Jason Mangum, director of the city’s parks and recreation department, recommended to city council that city parks close at 11 p.m. and open at 6 a.m. The city changes park hours based on daylight savings time.

Mangum also recommended the city’s code of ordinances be revised to allow park officials to prohibit activities that could cause property damage or physical harm.

“[These amendments] basically allow the parks and recreation director to create rules for the orderly management of athletic fields, parks, and the recreation center, provided that these rules don’t conflict with code policies and laws,” Mangum said.

Instead of granting sports teams an annual events pass to hold season games, Mangum recommended the city create a designation that sports teams could apply for, which if approved would grant them use of the city’s athletic fields for up to six months at a time.

“We’ve also had some performance issues in some areas with a lot of mostly out-of-town people coming in and using city fields without authorization, without permission,” assistant city manager Scott Elmer said.

This would give the city more control over the use of its property, Elmer said.

“We’ve had some issues where we have had bad behavior on behalf of teams,” Elmer said, referring to fights among parents and coaches. “What we’re trying to do is set performance standards.”

 

Guidelines for telecom equipment discussed

City attorney E. Joyce Iyamu submitted for council consideration a guideline for the installation of telecommunication equipment on the city’s rights-of-way, which wireless providers can do with limited restrictions from a city under a recently passed state law.

Effective Sept. 1, Senate Bill 1004 reduces the action a city may take to restrict the installation of telecom equipment on municipal rights-of-way, according to legislative documents.

The “City of Missouri City Wireless Services Design Manual” provides guidelines for wireless companies that adhere to city aesthetics and safety policies, according to meeting documents.

For example, the manual bars companies from building network nodes and support poles in certain rights-of-ways and thoroughfares without written consent from the city, according to the manual. The manual also requires that equipment located in design districts and in historic districts be concealed.