Ordinance Number 05-25
ORDINANCE NUMBER 05-25
CAMPING ON PUBLIC PROPERTY
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MOUNTAIN IRON, MINNESOTA DOES ORDAIN:
SECTION 1. PURPOSE. It is the purpose of this chapter to prevent the harm to public property caused by the activities of unlawful camping; unlawful storing of camp facilities; unlawful fires; littering; and altering or damaging the natural environment. Camping on public property – erecting and occupying camp facilities for the purpose of facilitating occupation, habitation, or residing in a location even temporarily, that is not designated as an area for camping creates dangerous public health, sanitation and safety concerns for the general public, city employees, and first responders. These activities foster unsanitary conditions, damage the natural environment and critical areas, and interfere with the rights of others to use public property for the purposes for which they were intended.
SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS.
(A) “Public property” means all property in which the city has a property interest (i.e., control, easement, lease, ownership, possessory interest, or rental), including parcels, tracts, forfeited properties, public lands for sale under city control, easements, and public rights-of-way. The term includes, without limitation, all parks, docks, piers, streets, sidewalks, trails, forests, open spaces, , the grounds around the city including but not limited to parking lots and structures, entryways, and storage areas, and any other property in which the city has a property interest of any type.
(B) “Camp facilities” include, but are not limited to, motor vehicles, trailers, tents, huts, temporary shelters, or other structures that evidence an intent to function as a temporary or permanent place of residence or to demarcate public property under circumstances that evidence an intent to take or hold possession or control of that public property as a person’s residence or tenancy, to the exclusion of others or other uses. “camp facilities” does not include “shelters” when used temporarily in a park for recreational play.
(C) “Camp” means to pitch, erect, construct or occupy facilities for the purpose of, or in such a way as will facilitate habitation, the occupation of or residing in a location.
SECTION 3. UNLAWFUL CAMPING ON PUBLIC PROPERTY.
(A) Unlawful camping. It shall be unlawful for any person to camp or store items on public property within the City of Mountain Iron, except as allowed at the public campground, West Two Rivers.
(B) Immediate Removal of Unlawful Camp. If an unlawful camp is on public property, the city may immediately remove any personal property, camp facilities, and all other property, contraband, pollutants, and waste. Law enforcement may order such person(s) to immediately leave the property where the violation is occurring. Failure to leave the property or returning to the property with intent to violate the camping ordinance can subject the person to prosecution and/or arrest for trespassing.
SECTION 4. VIOLATION. Any person who undertakes or allows any violation of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
SECTION 5. INCONSISTENT ORDINANCES. Any inconsistent ordinance or parts thereof are hereby repealed and replaced with the provision of this ordinance.
SECTION 6. CITY CODE. This ordinance shall be incorporated into the Mountain Iron City Code as Chapter 132 Camping on Public Property.
SECTION 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Ordinance becomes effective on the date of its publication, or upon the publication of a summary of the Ordinance as provided by Minn. Stat. § 412.191, subd. 4, as it may be amended from time to time, which meets the requirements of Minn. Stat. § 331A.01, subd. 10, as it may be amended from time to time.
DULY ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL THIS 7th DAY OF JULY, 2025.
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Mayor Peggy Anderson
Attested:
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City Administrator
