ERLANGER, Ky. — An issue brought to the attention of Erlanger city leaders in recent weeks has them evaluating rules and regulations regarding their parks.

What You Need To Know

  •  Erlanger City Council members have been looking into clarification with an ordinance carved out for Flagship Park

  •  The ordinance has been up for debate in regards to concerns over a running group and other groups who may want to use the space

  •  City leaders said they are now looking into reworking the parks ordinance as a whole 

  • The public id welcome to attend a meeting April 4 at the Public Works Office

Erlanger City Councilman Tyson Hermes said he’s been looking into regulations around groups and teams that want to be able to use Flagship Park.

“Organized athletic teams were not allowed to practice or have games in the park,” Hermes explained, because of a specific ordinance passed in 2010 for Flagship Park.

At issue is whether a running group that uses the park constitutes a team.

“It’s not really a team necessarily. There are lots of kids from a Blessed Sacrament team that runs there but there’s a lot of people who run there as well who are not on that team,” Hermes said.

Spectrum News 1 reached out to members from the Blessed Sacrament Athletic Boosters for further comment, but they declined to comment.

Hermes said it’s safe to say they’ve had very minimal to no incidents of teams meeting at the park to practice or play. He even created a presentation for a meeting on March 21, outlining his interpretation of the 2010 ordinance and where he felt this running group fit.

“I don’t think that the running group falls under the category of organized athletic team. It’s group exercise,” he said.

He said it’s been brought up by coaches and other leaders to try to correct the ordinance and make sure the wording is more clear.

“The proposed ordinance left a lot of deficiencies and holes and gaps,” Hermes said.

It was voted down. Hermes said community members have also spoken out with concerns about making changes to the existing ordinance. But the issue has both Hermes and others thinking about their parks ordinance altogether.

City leaders are now looking to rework the whole ordinance. “We are going to go through it and try to make it so that it fits the needs of the people who want to use the park and the people who live near the parks. There’s a lot of little nuances that need to be changed,” said Hermes.

The work will begin in April when city leaders will hold a public meeting for community input. That meeting is scheduled for April 4 at 5:30 p.m. at the Public Works Office.

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