11 Pa.C.S. Ch. 137

11 Pa.C.S. Ch. 137
in effect

11 Pa.C.S. § 13703 Acquisition of lands and buildings.

By purchase, gift or right of eminent domain, a city may enter upon, take, use and acquire land, property or a building for the purpose of making, extending, enlarging and maintaining a recreation place. The recreation place shall consist of a public park, parkway, playground, field, gymnasium, public bath, swimming pool or indoor recreation center. A city may: (1) Levy and collect a special tax as may be necessary to pay for the recreation place. (2) Make appropriations for the improvement, maintenance, care, regulation and governing of the recreation place. (3) Designate and set apart for use, for a purpose specified in this section, land and a building owned by the city and not dedicated or devoted to other public use. (4) Lease land and a building in the city for temporary use for a purpose specified under this section. Land, property and a building outside the limits of the city may be purchased or acquired for the recreation place with the consent of the governing body of the municipal corporation in which the land, property or building is situated.

11 Pa.C.S. § 13703.1 Powers of council and delegation.

(a) Council.--Council may equip, operate, supervise and maintain a recreation place and employ a recreation director or other officer or employee deemed necessary in order to carry out the provisions of this chapter. (b) Supervision and maintenance.--When more than one-half the full cost of the supervision and maintenance of the recreation place, including the compensation of an officer or employee hired to carry out the provisions of this chapter, are borne by the city, council may fix the compensation of the officer or employee. (c) Delegation.--Council may delegate all or part of its power under subsection (a) to an existing body or board or to a recreation board, as council shall determine. Cross References. Section 13703.1 is referred to in sections 13705, 13709.1 of this title.

11 Pa.C.S. § 13705 Creation and composition of recreation board.

(a) Establishment.--Council may establish in the city a recreation board. (b) Power and responsibilities.--The recreation board shall possess the powers and responsibilities delegated to it by council in accordance with section 13703.1(c) (relating to powers of council and delegation). (c) Composition.--When established, the recreation board shall consist of five or seven individuals. (d) Appointment and terms.--The members of the recreation board shall be appointed by the mayor, with the approval of council, and shall serve for terms no longer than five years. The terms of the members shall be staggered in a manner that at least one expires annually. (e) Compensation.--The members of the recreation board shall serve without pay. (f) Vacancy.--A vacancy in the board, other than by expiration of term, shall be for the unexpired term and shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

11 Pa.C.S. § 13706 Organization of board.

The members of a recreation board established under this chapter shall elect a chair and secretary and select the other necessary officers to serve for a period of one year. The board may adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of all business within its jurisdiction. A meeting of the board shall be subject to the provisions of 65 Pa.C.S. Ch. 7 (relating to open meetings).

11 Pa.C.S. § 13707 Joint ownership and maintenance.

A city may acquire, jointly with one or more other municipalities, property for and operate and maintain a recreation place. A city may join with a school district and appropriate money for equipping, operating and maintaining a recreation place.

11 Pa.C.S. § 13708 Borrowing.

Council may borrow money and incur debt in accordance with 53 Pa.C.S. Pt. VII Subpt. B (relating to indebtedness and borrowing) for the purpose of acquiring land, a building and equipment for a recreation place.

11 Pa.C.S. § 13709 Maintenance and tax levy.

An expense incurred in the maintenance and operation of a recreation place established under this chapter, including the operation of a recreation program in the recreation place, may be paid from the city treasury. Council may annually appropriate, and cause to be raised by taxation in accordance with section 12531(a)(4) (relating to tax levies), a tax for this purpose. The funds may be appropriated for the purposes of this section to an existing body or board or to a recreation board.

11 Pa.C.S. § 13709.1 City trust.

(a) Authority of city and council.--The following shall apply: (1) A city may receive in trust the estate, money, assets and real and personal property that has been or will be bestowed upon the city by donation, gift, legacy, endowment, bequest, devise, conveyance or other means for: (i) the purpose of establishing or maintaining a public park; or (ii) another public purpose for the use and benefit of the residents of the city. (2) For the purposes of the trust, council may control the estate, money, assets and real and personal property received under this subsection. (3) The authority provided under this subsection shall be in addition to the other powers conferred by law. (b) Transfer of control.--The following shall apply: (1) Control of a city trust shall be transferred to council if the trust has been or is created as a result of a property or estate having been conveyed, bequeathed or devised or otherwise given or donated to a city in trust for: (i) the purpose of establishing or maintaining a public park; or (ii) another public purpose for the use and benefit of the residents of the city. (2) Upon petition of council, the court of common pleas in the county where a city is located may transfer control of the trust to council if necessary to carry out the intention of this section. (c) Delegation.--Council may delegate the supervision and operation of recreation places subject to the trust to a recreation board in accordance with section 13703.1 (relating to powers of council and delegation). (d) Power of the court.--This section shall not limit a power of the court to terminate or reform a trust under existing law.

11 Pa.C.S. § 13718 Park rangers.

(a) Authority of council.--Under the provisions of this chapter, council may provide, by ordinance, for the selection and employment of the number of individuals deemed necessary to act as park rangers, fix compensation and duties and provide for uniforms. (b) Authority of park ranger.--To the extent authorized by 53 Pa.C.S. Ch. 21 Subch. D (relating to municipal police education and training), an individual appointed as a park ranger under an ordinance passed under the provisions of subsection (a) shall have, in a park and playground and other public place in the city and beyond the limits of the city when the city has acquired land, property and a building for a park and playground or another public purpose, the same power in preserving the peace, maintaining order and making arrests as a police officer has in the city. (c) Supervision, control and direction.--A park ranger shall be under the supervision, control and direction of the director of the department of parks and public property or, if none exists, another department as council directs. (d) Definition.--For purposes of the act of June 28, 1935 (P.L.477, No.193), referred to as the Enforcement Officer Disability Benefits Law (Heart and Lung Act), the term "park ranger," as used in this section, shall mean a park guard.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.palegis.us/statutes/consolidated/view-statute?txtType=HTM&ttl=11Fetched: 10/16/2026