tain memorial buildings, auditoriums, and coliseums and levy a tax of not less than 5 and not more than 6 cents on each $100 of the taxable property to create a fund for its construction. Such resolution is not to become effective until ratified and approved by the voters (ch. 74, pt. IV, art. 6). Private associations may aid.-If any private association or corporation desires to aid in the erection and maintenance of the buildings, it must petition the board of public works, setting forth its purpose to join with the city and stating that it will pay at least one-third of the entire cost (ibid.). Advisory committee; board of control; bonds.-If the declaratory resolution be ratified by the voters, the council is to appoint an advisory committee of three of its members. The board of public works, with the advisory assistance of the committee, is to proceed to acquire the real estate and construct the building in the same manner as is provided by law for the acquiring of real estate for other public purposes. Upon completion there is to be formed a board of three members, elected by the council, to be known as the coliseum directors. In the event that the institution is to be owned in part by a private association, then three additional members are to be appointed by the private association or corporation. The board is to have full and complete authority in the maintenance and conduct, subject to the ordinances of the council. The council is to prescribe by ordinance the rates of rental. The city is to have the use thereof for purely municipal purposes, free of rentals. The city may issue bonds to procure money for construction and acquiring the real estate therefor, or may levy a tax and appropriate money out of the general fund. For the purpose of paying rent and exercising an option to purchase, as may be provided in any contract, the city is to levy and collect annually a specific tax on all taxable property within the city of not less than 5 cents on each $100 worth of property as valued for taxable purposes (ibid.). PLAYGROUNDS Authority. The board of school trustees in a city having not less than 63,000 or more than 69,000 population is authorized to establish, maintain, and equip public playgrounds. The board of park commissioners may permit the use of any grounds under its control for playground purposes, and if in its judgment deemed necessary, may acquire and maintain suitable grounds especially for such purposes (ibid., art. 6). Under control of school boards.-The school board is vested with full control and custody of all such playgrounds, including the policing and preservation of order, and may adopt rules, regulations, and bylaws for the control thereof, and the conduct of the children and other persons while on or using the same, and may enforce the same by suitable penalties. The school board is required to appoint and fix the compensation of directors, teachers, and assistants to superintend and manage the playgrounds, and to preserve order and the observance of rules, regulations, and bylaws (ibid.). Expenses; how paid.-All expenses necessarily incurred are to be borne by the city. The council must annually levy the sum of not ·less than 1 cent or more than 2 cents on each $100 of taxables within the city to create a “playground fund" to be expended by the board exclusively for the foregoing purposes (ibid.). CITIES OF THE THIRD CLASS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS Board of park trustees; selection; term; officers. Any city of the third class may create a board of trustees for the control and management of its public parks. The board is to be composed of four citizens, not more than two of whom may be of the same political party. Members are to be selected by the council, and must serve without compensation, but are to be allowed such reasonable expenses as may be incurred in connection with duties as a member of the board, and which may include the expense of members or employees in attending meetings or conventions held for the purpose, wholly or in part, of discussing matters relating to parks. Each member must take and subscribe the usual oath of office. Failure to do so within 10 days of election is to be deemed a refusal to serve. The board constitutes a body corporate and politic, with the usual powers of corporations. Members are to be elected for a term of 1, 2, 3 and 4 years, respectively; thereafter the successor is to serve for a term of 4 years. All vacancies are to be filled for the unexpired term. A majority of the members constitutes a quorum. The board annually is to elect a president, a vice president, a secretary, and a treasurer. The board is to fix a time for holding regular meetings. Special meetings may be called at any time by the president or by any two of the members. All meetings must be open to the public. Annual reports must be made to the council of its proceedings, with a full statement of its receipts and disbursements, and a report of the acquisition of lands which have come under its control during the preceding year (Acts of 1937, ch. 155). Powers and duties; funds; taxes. The board is vested with the management, control, and maintenance of all public parks and other public places hereinafter provided for, and of all moneys, bonds, securities, and property received by it for park or kindred purposes. All money received is to be paid into the city treasury and credited to the department of public parks. All expenditures relating to the property under the control of the department, except as otherwise provided, are to be provided for by special tax levies (ibid.). "Parks" defined; use of school lands.-The term "parks" is defined to include public parks, parkways, boulevards, bridlepaths, bathhouses, bathing beaches, playgrounds, playfields, swimming pools, athletic fields, community centers, tourists' camping grounds, squares, centers, gardens, natatoriums, zoological gardens, and other similar public property and functions, exclusive of community centers, playgrounds, playfields, swimming pools, bathhouses, and athletic fields established and maintained by the board of school trustees on property belonging to or leased by any school city and used principally for school purposes. Such board, however, may permit the board of park commissioners to use any school grounds or property for the purpose of establishing and maintaining playgrounds, playfields, swimming pools, bathhouses, and athletic fields when such use will not interfere with the use of the property for school purposes (ibid.). Management and control; express powers.-The board is vested with the exclusive government, management, and control, subject to the laws governing State parks, of all parks within the city, with full power to enforce all laws and ordinances for the proper use, regulation, and government. For all the purposes of government, maintenance, and direction of public use, such parts of all roads or avenues as pass through the parks are deemed to be a part thereof and are under like control and management. As a part of its powers, the board has exclusive power (1) To acquire, lay out, and improve land for public parks, and to govern, manage, maintain, regulate, and direct the public use of the same; (2) To appoint landscape architects, superintendents, engineers, surveyors, attorneys, clerks, guards, laborers, playground directors, and all employees deemed expedient; to prescribe and define their respective duties and authorities, and fix and regulate their compensation. All such employees must be selected and appointed irrespective of their political affiliations; (3) To make rules and regulations for the management of the property under its control; (4) To locate, erect, and maintain fountains, statues, monuments, and other memorials in the parks and in the streets and avenues which form the boundaries or intersect the same; also to erect and maintain suitable fences around the parks; (5) To seize and impound poultry or animals found running at large in the parks and to establish places for such impounding; (6) To lease for private purposes any buildings or grounds within the limits of any park when not required for public use, and to charge and collect a rental therefor; to provide special entertainments, recreation, and other special facilities and to charge and collect a fee from each person attending or using the same; to sell any buildings, improvements, or materials not required for park purposes. The proceeds from all such sources are to be credited to the department of public parks. No lease for more than 1 year may be made except to the highest and best bidder after notice of such lease has been given by publication; (7) To vacate streets and alleys within lands under its control; 8) To take over and control streets, roadways, and public passageways and convert the same into boulevards or pleasure driveways whenever the same connect with or run into or through any park, parkway, or boulevard, or are necessary for the establishment of any park or boulevard system; to grade, improve, and beautify the same; to relinquish the control and management of any street, roadway, passageway, or parkway in streets taken over not necessary or desirable for maintenance as a part of the park system; (9) To petition the board of public works and safety tc construct any necessary drainage or sanitary sewers with connections in any boulevard, parkway, or street bordering park property, and to require public service corporations to lay, install, and connect water and gas mains and electric conduits in and along any boulevard or park drive reasonably necessary; (10) To permit the board of school trustees to use any grounds. or property under its control for the purpose of establishing and maintaining playgrounds, playfields, and athletic fields when such use will not interfere with the use of the property for public park purposes, or is not needed for public park purposes (ibid.). Taxation; bonds; appropriations; expenditures.-A tax of not less than 4 cents or more than 9 cents on each $100 of taxable property may be levied annually by the council for park purposes. The council may at any time appropriate to the park fund any sums out of the general fund, and may borrow money and issue bonds therefor and turn the proceeds into the park fund. The money thus realized, plus that realized from the sale or lease of privileges in the parks and from gifts, donations, payments, or from any other source, may be expended for the acquisition, improvement, or maintenance of parks, park property, or for any park purposes. Moneys remaining to the credit of the board at the end of the calendar year are to continue to belong to the general park fund (ibid.). Franchises.-Same as for cities of the first class. Gifts and bequests. Real and personal property may be granted, devised, leased, bequeathed, or conveyed to the board for park purposes; for the establishment and maintenance in the parks of gardens for horticulture and floriculture, and of museums, zoological gardens, collections of natural history, observatories, libraries, fountains, monuments, or works of art and art galleries. The city may take and hold the same upon such trust or conditions as may be approved by the board. All such property or the rents, issues, and profits are to be exclusively managed and controlled by the board. The board is also required to provide such accommodations and take such steps as the money at its disposal will justify for securing and preserving collections of natural history and for the establishment of museums in the parks. Property so reserved is exempt from all taxation. All moneys or funds so reserved and not required to be used currently in carrying out the purpose or trust must be invested in bonds or obligations of the United States or of any municipality of the State, preference being given to bonds or securities issued by the city (ibid.). Rivers, streams, and waterways.-Same as for cities of the first class. Rules; enforcement; police. All rules, regulations, and orders of the board are to be enforced by the department of public works and safety through its police department and upon the orders of the board (ibid.). GOLF COURSES Acquisition; bonds.-Cities of the third class may acquire, develop, improve, and operate golf courses, either as a part of or in connection with their public parks, or separate and apart therefrom; and to that end acquire existing golf courses or lands to be developed for that purpose. Bonds may be issued to pay the cost of acquisition, development, and improvement, subject to the provisions of the general statutes relating to the issuance of bonds and the making of appropriations. As an alternative method of financing the cost. revenue bonds may be issued, payable solely from the income and revenues of the golf course. In case land is acquired by the use of bond proceeds, the payment of the bonds may be further secured by a pledge of the land acquired (Acts of 1937, ch. 56). CITIES OF THE FOURTH CLASS MEMORIAL PARKS OR FOREST PRESERVES Gift; acceptance.-Whenever any person, firm, corporation, or association by gift, grant, devise, or donation conveys or offers to convey to the people of any city of the fourth class any contiguous land or territory lying outside the corporate limits of such city and within 1 mile thereof, and containing 40 acres or more of natural forest, as and for a memorial forest, preserve, or park to commemorate and perpetuate the services and sacrifices of the soldiers, sailors, and marines of the United States, at home and abroad, and such gift, grant, devise, or donation, or the tender thereof, has been accepted for such purposes by the common council, such land or territory may be incorporated as a memorial forest preserve or park (ch. 26, art. 4). Commissioners.-The judge of the court of the county in which the city is located must appoint three resident voters of the city as a board of commissioners to serve for a period of 3 years. Members are to receive no salary (ibid.). Powers. The board is to be the corporate authority of the area, with power and authority to protect and preserve the flora, fauna, and scenic beauty as near as may be in their natural condition for the education, pleasure, and recreation of the public; to create, lay out, improve, and maintain and protect the area; to establish, lay out, improve, and maintain such convenient paths, driveways, and roadways in and through the preserve as may be deemed desirable or necessary for the use of the public; to regulate and control the speed of travel on all paths, driveways, and roadways, to prohibit the use of same for racing or speedway purposes, and to exclude therefrom traffic, teams, and vehicles; to prescribe fines and penalties for the violation of its rules and regulations; to erect and construct such buildings and structures as may be necessary or essential to conserve the safety, pleasure, health, convenience, and comfort of the public. The preserve must be open to the public at all times under proper restrictions for the safety of the people and the conservation of trees and plants. The board may set aside a suitable tract of land in the preserve for the burial of such soldiers, sailors, and marines as may have made no other arrangement for their interment. It may pass and enforce all necessary rules and regulations for the management of the property and conduct of the business of the preserve; appoint such officers and employees as may be necessary, and fix their salaries (ibid.). Tax; appropriations. For the protection, maintenance, and development of the preserve, the city council must annually levy upon the taxable property of the city a sum not less than 12 mill and not more than 1 mill on each dollar, which tax is to constitute a special fund to be known as a Memorial Forest Preserve Fund. The council may also make such annual appropriations to such fund as may be deemed necessary to make original improvements and install proper buildings, fences, roads, and walks to enable the public to use and enjoy the area (ibid.). No power to encumber. The board may not encumber the lands in any manner or for any purpose, but the same must be kept and |