Monroe Township (Middlesex County), NJ Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)

The rule sits in § 3-52.2(E), the prohibited activities clause of the Township's recreation facility policies, added by the Monroe Township Council on 5-7-12 as Ord. No. O-5-2012-010. It has two parts. The first is a buffer: smoking is prohibited inside all municipal buildings and to at least 20 feet away from the exterior of all municipal buildings, so standing at a door of the Monroe Community Center or any other Township building does not qualify. The second applies to parks and outdoor facilities: smoking is restricted to designated smoking areas, which means smoking outside those areas in a Township park is a violation. Section 3-52.2 does not name the official who designates the areas or list their locations.

The same subsection, § 3-52.2(E)(1), prohibits the consumption of alcoholic beverages in all Township facilities. The other conduct rules in § 3-52.2 apply to the same parks. Parking is limited to designated parking areas, no motor vehicles are permitted on any field, park or open space except in emergency situations, and each organization granted permission to use Township parks and facilities must provide responsible adult supervision.

Subsection H, added 2-1-2021 by Ord. No. O-1-2021-001, assigns enforcement. The Township of Monroe Police Department has primary responsibility for enforcing the policies and procedures for use of the recreation facilities. Penalties come from the same subsection and apply to the whole article, not only the smoking sentence: a fine of not more than $2,000, imprisonment for a term not to exceed 90 days, or both, in the discretion of the Judge. The code treats continuation on each successive day as a separate offense, and a person who allows or permits the continuation can be punished for each separate offense.