Sec. 9. (a) The board has, subject to statute and to the right given by section 5 of this chapter to other municipalities within the district to operate separate parks and recreational facilities, exclusive control of all property within the district used for park purposes.

     (b) In addition, the part of all public ways that pass through park property is considered to be a part of this property and is also under the control of the board.

     (c) The board may do the following:

(1) Acquire, lay out, and improve land for park purposes in the district and may equip, operate, maintain, and regulate the public use of that property.

(2) Appoint a secretary, and, in the secretary’s absence a secretary pro tempore, landscape architects, engineers, surveyors, attorneys, clerks, guards, laborers, playground directors, and other employees, prescribe their duties and authority, and fix their compensation. If a superintendent of the department is appointed, the secretary shall be appointed under IC 36-4-9-2.

(3) Make rules not in conflict with statutes or the ordinances of the city for the management of the property under its control.

(4) Require the department of public safety of the city to detail police officers to execute the orders and enforce the rules made by the board and to be subject to the board, with the city executive deciding any disagreement between the two (2) departments as to the number and duration of the details of police officers.

(5) Locate, erect, and maintain fountains in parks, as well as in the public ways that form the boundaries of parks, or intersect with them.

(6) Erect and maintain suitable fences around parks.

(7) Seize and impound animals found running at large in any of the parks, including establishing suitable places for the impounding.

(8) Lease or sell any buildings, grounds, materials, equipment, or any parts of them owned by the city that are under the control of the department and that the board determines are not required for park purposes, permitting any other department of the city or the school city to occupy or use the property upon terms that are approved by the executive. All sums realized from the lease, sale, or other disposition of property shall be deposited in the city treasury to the credit of the department and expended for park purposes. All buildings and structures erected upon land under the control of the board are under the control of the board, and the board may not permit the erection of any building or structure upon land unless it becomes the property of the city. A lease or sale of minerals, mineral rights, or royalties for minerals for more than one (1) year from land owned by a second class city or a lease for more than one (1) year in a city that adopted this chapter by ordinance under IC 19-7-9 (before its repeal on September 1, 1981) may be made only to the highest and best bidder after notice of the sale or lease has been given by publication in accordance with IC 5-3-1.

     (d) The board may also do the following:

(1) Vacate public ways, or parts of them, on land under the control of the board in the same manner as the city works board may vacate them.

(2) Take over and control public ways, or parts of them, within the city and convert them into boulevards or pleasure driveways if they connect with or run into or through a park, parkway, or boulevard or are necessary for the establishment of a park or boulevard system in the city, including grading, improving, and beautifying them and relinquishing to other departments of the city the control of a public way or parkway in streets taken over that are not necessary or desirable for maintenance as part of the park system of the city.

(3) Petition the proper board of the city to construct any necessary drainage or sanitary sewers and connections in a public way or parkway bordering park property and require a public service corporation to lay, install, and connect water and gas mains and electric light conduits in and along a boulevard or park drive when reasonably necessary.

[Pre-Local Government Recodification Citations: 19-7-9-5 part; 19-7-30-9 part; 19-7-15-1.]

As added by Acts 1981, P.L.309, SEC.111. Amended by Acts 1981, P.L.45, SEC.97; Acts 1981, P.L.320, SEC.13; P.L.3-1990, SEC.139; P.L.127-2017, SEC.380.