Policies & Guidelines

ADA Compliance

Should you or someone you know need support because of a disability to visit one of our parks or facilities, or to participate in one of our programs, please contact us so that we may be of assistance.

If you believe the Sterling Park District has treated you unfairly because of a disability, please contact us. The Sterling Park District Grievance Procedure is available online at www.sterlingparks.org/accessibility/.

Service animals that have been trained individually to perform tasks benefiting a person with a disability are allowed in Park District facilities and parks. All service animals must be under the control of the user. A facility manager or supervisor may remove a service animal that is not under the control of the user. The work of service animals must be related to the disability of the person with a disability. Power-driven personal assistance mobility devices (EPAMDs), whose users must be persons with a disability, are also allowed in Park District facilities.

People who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled TTY users are encouraged to contact the Sterling Park District through the Illinois Relay System by dialing 711.

Illinois Park Code (70 ILCS 1025/)

The Park District Code is a codification of the statutory law which governs the powers, duties, and purposes relating to park districts throughout Illinois of less than 500,000 inhabitants.

It is not the complete compilation of all laws effecting park districts, since there are many other Illinois and federal statutes which have an impact upon park districts, like the Sterling Park District. 

The Illinois Park Code may be viewed using the following link.

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ChapterID=15&ActID=892

AN ORDINANCE REGULATING THE USE OF PARKS AND PROPERTY OWNED OR CONTROLLED BY THE STERLING PARK DISTRICT

This Ordinance regulating conduct in the Sterling Park District, Sterling, Illinois; providing for enforcement; and providing penalties for the violation of its provisions shall be known and may be cited as the “Conduct Ordinance of the Sterling Park District.”

CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE DOCUMENT

AN ORDINANCE REGULATING ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATIONS OF THE STERLING PARK DISTRICT

This Ordinance regulating the administrative affairs of the Sterling Park District, Sterling, Illinois; shall be known and cited as the “Administrative Code of the Sterling Park District

CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE DOCUMENT

Special Use Permit – First Amendment Activities
Freedom of speech, press, religion and assembly are rights protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. People may exercise these rights in our parks, but the Sterling Park District still retains its responsibility to protect park resources and prevent conflict among park visitors. Therefore, the Sterling Park District establishes guidelines for setting the time, place and manner (number of participants, use of facilities and type of equipment) for the events to occur. As long as permit criteria and requirements are met, no group wishing to assemble lawfully will be discriminated against or denied the right of assembly. Click here for the permit/application. Print, complete and mail to Sterling Park District, 1913 3rd Avenue, Sterling, IL 61081. Please allow at least two business days for processing.

Changes/Error Disclaimer
Due to the large amount of information available in the Sterling Park District Activity Guide, errors before or after publication may occur. We apologize for any errors and we will advise you of any changes as quickly as possible. We will also attempt to keep information on our website as current as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding when these situations arise.

Hours of Operation
The Park District reserves the right to change or alter policies and hours are our facilities.

Customer Satisfaction
Your satisfaction is our top priority. If you are not 100% satisfied with any of our parks, programs or facilities, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Locker Room/Restroom Policy
Children over the age of 2 will not be permitted in the locker rooms/restrooms of the opposite sex. Children must be prepared to change their clothing or walk through the locker room/restroom on their own, if necessary. When possible, the Sterling Park District recommends that a parent or adult chaperone of the same sex accompany the child through the locker room/restroom.*

*Duis Center Pool Locker Rooms – If this is not possible, then please seek the assistance of a Front Desk Attendant for entry to the pool through the glass doors near the diving well.

Photo Policy
Photos are periodically taken of participants in our programs and at our park locations and facilities. These photos may be used in any Park District advertising materials, including but not limited to the following: brochures, pamphlets, flyers, television advertisements and website.

Refund Policy
A full refund will be given for the following reasons:

If a program is cancelled for any reason.
If refund is requested seven days prior to the start of the program.
Illness or injury (we reserve the right to request a doctor’s note).

Returned Checks
There will be a $25 fee assessed for all returned checks.

Snow/Ice Removal Procedures
The Sterling Park District strives to protect and to serve the needs of our facility patrons and park users during the winter months by providing snow and ice control at each District facility as well as snow and ice control at many of the District parks and all of the District’s hard surface bike paths and sidewalks.  These areas include over 15 acres of parking lots, nearly 2.5 miles of roadways/drives, approximately 2.5 miles of sidewalks and nearly 7 miles of trails.

Generally the road-ways/parking lots/sidewalks at Westwood and Duis Center will be returned to safe driving/walking winter conditions after a measurable snow fall and/or an accumulation of surface ice.  For all other areas, snow removal will begin after an accumulation or 2″ or more of snow.  Under most circumstances, the District will adhere to the following snow removal priority list:

If you have any questions about the District’s snow removal policies please feel free to call the Director of Parks and Planning Jana Jacobs at (815) 622-6225 or e-mail her at jjacobs@sterlingparks.org