Mount Vernon's Public Conduct: The Rules That Matter

Mount Vernon maintains 123 local ordinances across all categories, and 3 of those deal specifically with public conduct. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Mount Vernon falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Loitering Rules

Beyond the citywide park curfew, Mount Vernon closes its two named athletic fields on their own schedules: Hutchinson Field from 11 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. under § 170-1C, and Memorial Field from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. under § 170-5.1. Both require the Commissioner of Recreation's prior special permission to be inside after hours.

Key details: Hutchinson Field curfew: 11 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., § 170-1C. Memorial Field curfew: 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., § 170-5.1. Exception authority: Prior special permission from Commissioner of Recreation. Distinct from park curfew: Separate chapter and hours from § 186-16. Default penalty: Up to $250 fine or 15 days jail.

Loitering in Hutchinson Field or Memorial Field after the hours fixed in § 170-1C or § 170-5.1 is punished under the City's general penalty, § 1-4, because Chapter 170 sets no penalty of its own: a fine of up to $250, imprisonment of up to 15 days, or both, or up to $500 for a corporation.

Compared to other cities, Mount Vernon takes a harder line on loitering rules. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Outdoor Smoking Restrictions

Mount Vernon bans smoking of tobacco, cannabis, hookah, or vaping devices within 25 feet of any city park, playground, street park, or tot lot. City Code § 186-18 covers all forms of smoking, including cannabis products, and carries a flat $250 fine per violation. The ban does not reach the public sidewalk skirting a park's tot-lot sandbox.

Key details: Buffer distance: 25 feet from any park, playground, tot lot. Fine: $250 per violation (infraction). Covers: Tobacco, cannabis, hookah, and vaping devices. Sidewalk exception: Public sidewalks near tot-lot sandboxes exempted. Enacted: Added 2009; amended 2011 and 2023.

Violating § 186-18 is an infraction punishable by a flat $250 fine per occurrence, whether for smoking within the buffer or for discarding a lit or spent tobacco, cannabis, hookah, or vaping product there. There is no tiered first-offense warning: the fine applies from the first citation, and retaliating against someone who calls out a violation is itself a separate violation of Subsection C.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Mount Vernon actively enforces its outdoor smoking restrictions requirements.

Public Alcohol Use

Mount Vernon bans drinking or possessing an open container of beer, wine, or other intoxicating beverage on any public street, sidewalk, alley, highway, playground, or parking area. City Code § 191-11 has covered the whole city since 1978, expanded in 1999, and a violation falls under the Code's general offense penalty of up to $250.

Key details: Covered locations: Streets, sidewalks, alleys, highways, playgrounds, parking areas. Adopted: 1978, amended 1999. Penalty: Up to $250 fine or 15 days (§ 1-4). Corporate penalty: Up to $500. Applies to: Beer, wine, any intoxicating beverage.

A § 191-11 violation is not given its own penalty clause in Article I, so it is enforced under the Code's general offense penalty at § 1-4: a fine not exceeding $250 or imprisonment not exceeding 15 days, or both, for an individual, and a penalty of up to $500 for a corporation.

Compared to other cities, Mount Vernon takes a harder line on public alcohol use. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

The Bottom Line

Mount Vernon is tougher than many cities when it comes to public conduct. Out of the 3 rules covered here, 3 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Mount Vernon, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

Keep in mind that Mount Vernon can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.