ASHLAND — Ashland County commissioners on Thursday updated its rules on how many days groups can use Corner Park.
Commissioners voted unanimously to limit the park’s use to three days a month.
The policy change was not included on the agenda for Thursday’s meeting. Instead, commissioner Mike Welch brought it up at the end of the meeting.
“Use of the park by any one person or group or for any one event or cause is limited to three consecutive days and a total of three days in any calendar month, whether consecutive or nonconsecutive,” reads the policy.
The policy goes on to say that signs or displays used for any event can only be used while the park is reserved. It also says the park can be used “on a first-come, first-served basis.”
What prompted the change?
Welch, president of the Ashland County Board of Commissioners, said Thursday the policy change is an attempt to be fair to all.
When asked what specifically prompted the update, he said it was “just something that others brought to our attention.”
“There was no time limit before,” he said. “It was an oversight on our part. We never dreamt people would request a month at a time.”
Commissioner Jim Justice, who, according to county records signed off on Nelson’s requests this summer, said the board worked hard on the policy change.
“I believe we’re where we need to be … it’s taken a lot of thought,” he said.
Who is affected?
Corner Park, owned by the Ashland County Board of Commissioners, is a public park.
Groups and individuals advocating for political causes or to spread awareness of local events, campaigns and causes use the park frequently throughout the year.
“It’s a good place for people to express freedom of speech,” Welch said.
There is no fee to fill out the application form, but applicants must follow park rules, provide proof of insurance if necessary and show proof of the required Ashland County Health Department license if selling food.
County records show there have been 15 occasions where groups or individuals applied to use Corner Park this year. Two of those occasions were not allowed this year.
The use of Corner Park for one of those occasions “allowed for private advertising.” It was not allowed.
The length of time requested on the other disqualified the event.
‘Not approved’
On Aug. 17, Dianne Nelson, an Ashland resident, asked to use the park from Oct. 7 to Nov. 7, filing on behalf of a group called “The Coalition.”
Ohio corporation and nonprofit records do not show filings for the group, but Nelson said it can be found on Facebook and is made up of 50 “republicans, some democrats, and independents.”
“It’s a lump sum of everyone who is grassroots,” she said.
The next day, Nelson said the commissioners denied her application.
“They came back and said we cannot let you have the park because we are revising the rules,” she said. At the time, she was fine with that response.
“But as of yesterday, (the commissioners) still had not revised the rules and given them to The Coalition,” Nelson said.
As she waited for the revised rules, Nelson said she saw a group using Corner Park during days she had requested in her denied application.
“So you have this set of rules for everybody else but The Coalition?” she said. “There’s a double standard. I think there should be one set of rules for everybody. I’m not happy with the commissioners at all.”
Her denied request came after she was allowed to use the park for 30 days over the summer.
Nelson, filing on behalf of “The Coalition,” filled out three separate applications to use Corner Park from July 10 through Aug. 8.
They were all approved.
Nelson stood out at Corner Park everyday, or nearly everyday, from July 10 to Aug. 8. At the time, she said she and 15-20 people advocated for a “yes” vote on Issue 1.
The issue, an amendment aimed at making the state’s constitution more difficult to change, became intertwined with abortion. It drew 41% of Ashland County’s voters to the polls for a special election on Aug. 8.