The city of Mexico city council unanimously decided to give the parks and recreation director the authority to end tent camping at Lakeview Park.

The move came at the last regular meeting on Aug. 28. Council Member Chris Miller was not in attendance. The change was simple. Change the word “Shall” to the word “May” to allow camping in the city’s ordinance.

“Essentially the department and the director have different ordinance authority inside the campground than they do in the rest of the park system,” Parks and Recreation Director Chad Shoemaker told council members.

Shoemaker said with the change he can act on the Park Board’s recommendations rather than bringing the issue back to the council every time something happens. 

“The way the ordinance for the rest of the park system is written we can grant that authority or we can deny that authority. At the campground, we have to grant that permission.”

Shoemaker said 95 percent of the campground’s problems arise from the two tent camping spots. Many times the spots are occupied by people who are trying to live in the campground which is not allowed. Shoemaker said many times he has to get Mexico Public Safety involved and even then it can become a legal issue getting them out.

“We have a clientele that has figured out there’s a wrinkle in the system and has taken extreme advantage of it,” Shoemaker said after talking about working out a deal with a camper to leave only for them to tell public safety later on they were told they could stay. “We have to do something to get it back to where we can manage the issue.”

Shoemaker said the change doesn’t mean tent camping will be banned from the campgrounds forever.

“The easy answer is we’re just going to get rid of tents at the campground right now,” Shoemaker said. “We can bring it back when the issues are resolved. When the Park Board, the camp host, and the park staff all think we’ve got this back in a box where we can manage it.”

Shoemaker said tent camping isn’t allowed anywhere else in the system except for special events like this month’s Walk Back in Time and a special area for scout camping but those folks have to apply at the office. 

“We’re not going to just let someone put up a tent anywhere in the park system,” Shoemaker said. “Public safety knows they are there and what’s going on.”

Some council members also asked about banning tent camping citywide. At the council’s last meeting, City Manager Bruce Slagle said it has been suggested by City Prosecutor Melissa Buckman-Young who also is a prosecutor in Farber and Vandalia where similar ordinances have been instituted. 

“This was solving the park board issue but we need to address the other issue fully as well,” Slagle said.