Rochester Hills, MI Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 74-31, fees for park/facility use
- Fee schedule location
- Ch. 54, Art. VIII
- Waiver authority
- Mayor, prior written waiver only
- Default penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 90 days jail
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 433, July 1, 1998
Summary
Rochester Hills charges fees to reserve a city park or any special facility within one, on a daily, seasonal or yearly basis, under Code section 74-31 and the fee schedule in article VIII of chapter 54. Using a park facility that carries a charge without paying it is itself a Code violation unless the mayor grants a prior written waiver, which puts fee payment at the center of how residents book pavilions, fields and other bookable park amenities.
(a)Established. Fees for the use of a park, on a daily or yearly basis, and/or charges for the use of any special facility made available within a park, on a yearly, seasonal, or per-use basis, shall be as set forth in article VIII of chapter 54.(b)Payment mandatory. It shall be unlawful for any person to use a park or any facility for which such a charge is made without payment for such fee or charge, unless prior written waiver of such fee or charge by the mayor is received.
Full Breakdown
Section 74-31, part of Article II, Division 1 of the parks chapter, establishes that fees for using a park on a daily or yearly basis, and charges for using any special facility inside a park on a yearly, seasonal or per-use basis, are set out in article VIII of chapter 54, the city's consolidated fee schedule, rather than in the parks chapter itself. Subsection (b) then makes payment mandatory: it is unlawful for any person to use a park or a facility for which a charge is made without paying that fee or charge, unless the mayor has issued a prior written waiver.
The section traces to the 1976 Code and was carried forward by Ordinance No. 433 in 1998. Reservation and payment sit alongside the city's broader park-use rules: section 74-29 designates enforcement to city employees and agents and section 1-14's officers, section 74-30 lets the mayor set emergency rules to protect visitors and park property, and section 74-61 lets the council fix each park's hours of operation by resolution, with entry outside those hours unlawful unless the mayor extends them for a special event. Read together, a resident or group wanting exclusive use of a shelter, ballfield or other bookable facility must pay the fee set in chapter 54 for that use; using it without paying, or outside posted hours without the mayor's extension, is itself a Code violation. The parks division does not set its own fine for a fee violation, so section 1-16's general penalty applies.
Violations & Fines
Using a park facility that carries a fee without paying it violates section 74-31(b) directly. Because Division 1 of Article II sets no separate fine, the violation is a misdemeanor under the Code's general penalty, section 1-16: up to $500 in fines, up to 90 days in jail, or both, unless the mayor granted a prior written waiver of the fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay to reserve a shelter or facility in a Rochester Hills park?
What happens if I use a park facility without paying the fee?
Can the fee ever be waived?
Where are the actual park fee amounts published?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rochester Hills
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Park Event Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Oakland County handle park event permits.