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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.2 PokemonGo Response and Cemetery Rules ITEM NO: 8.2 Page 1 of 3 STAFF REPORT HERITAGE & CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION DATE: August 11, 2016 TO: Honorable Chair and Commission Members FROM: Tegan McLane, Cultural Arts & Heritage Manager SUBJECT: PokemonGo Response and Cemetery Rules Prepared by Tegan McLane, Cultural Arts & Heritage Manager EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Staff will review existing laws, policies and practices pertaining to the public’s use of the cemetery and receive an update on how the PokemonGo craze is affecting the cemetery. If it deems appropriate, the Commission will make any recommendations to City Council regarding Cemetery Rules. FINANCIAL IMPACT: None. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend City Council adopt the proposed Cemetery Rules proposed by Staff, or recommend modified Cemetery Rules. DESCRIPTION: Dublin Pioneer Cemetery has recently experienced a huge surge of new visitors, especially teens and young adults, due to the PokemonGo phone app game. This is posing both opportunities and challenges for Heritage Park Staff. The game was released July 1, and shortly thereafter Staff began noticing hundreds of cemetery visitors daily. The PokemonGo app uses a global positioning system (GPS) to lead players to locations where they will find animated Pokemon characters appearing on the phone screens. Players point their phone at a location and swipe the screen to “catch” the Pokemon character. Most play in small groups of two to three people and can be seen walking while watching their phone screens. This PokemonGo craze is nationwide, and we are aware of other cemeteries experiencing similar issues. There is a concern that PokemonGo players are so engrossed by the action on their phone screens that they may not notice obstacles and could trip and injure themselves or damage a headstone. To date, Staff is not aware of any trip and fall injuries or damage to any headstones. Page 2 of 3 There is also a concern – voiced by Cm. Iharosi at the July Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission meeting – that PokemonGo players may be walking across graves, which is considered disrespectful to the dead and potentially upsetting to people who have loved ones buried in the Cemetery. Staff is aware of one complaint from a family member who found it offensive that people were playing a game in the cemetery. Staff has not observed players walking across graves, and in fact the game appears to keep players on the designated cemetery paths. However the paths are becoming well-worn, and wildlife appear to have retreated. The unexpected volume of players at the Cemetery and elsewhere in Heritage Park is generating increased garbage. Garbage is generally piled in the vicinity of trash cans but frequently overflows the cans. Litter is frequent in the picnic areas, though Staff is not seeing discards in the Cemetery itself. Staff has noticed more smoking in the park and more discarded cigarette butts. Also, traffic to the restrooms during open hours has increased significantly, resulting in more mess than usual. Restrooms are not open when there are no formal activities scheduled at the park; on one occasion Staff has caught players urinating in the park when restrooms were locked. Cars have been trapped in the Parking lot when the gate is locked, and Staff has observed tire tracks through grass as trapped cars have driven out after the gate has been locked. Local businesses appear to be getting post-PokemonGo customers, and food trucks sometimes set up in the U.S. Bank lot to take advantage of the crowds. Staff has already taken the following actions to monitor and remedy the situations caused by the PokemonGo craze. • Notified Dublin Police, requesting increase patrols of the park. • Notified MCE and Tri-Valley Janitorial, but not requesting service beyond the City’s current contracted level. • Installed a more visible sign informing visitors of the parking lot closing time. • Used a megaphone to announce parking lot closing times and remind crowds to pick up after themselves. • Conducted a TV30 interview at the Cemetery and explained the need for visitors to take care not to damage historic buildings and headstones. • More actively patrolled the cemetery during shifts, distributing walking tour maps and talking with visitors to encourage them to explore the historic features of the park. • Contacted Niantic, maker of the game, to request that PokemonGo targets be moved out of the cemetery proper. (We have not had a reply from the company, but the in the last 24 hours traffic has died down considerably and the Cemetery does not appear to be listed on the PokemonGo site.) Staff does not believe it is practical to prohibit PokemonGo in the Cemetery. The PokemonGo craze is expected to peak and die down eventually. Without a locked fence to keep the public out and with limited staff resources to monitor the Cemetery at all times, players will simply continue to come in during hours when staff is not present. However, to manage this and similar situations in the future, Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission may wish to recommend formal adoption of Cemetery Rules and new, more visible signage. No specialized park rules exist for the Cemetery. These general City of Dublin Park Rules apply: • Hours are sunrise to one hour after sunset. • Prohibited: archery, camping, dogs walking/playing off-leash, fireworks, golfing, operating powered model crafts, operating drones, paintball, smoking within 100 feet of play and picnic areas. Page 3 of 3 • Prohibited items: alcohol, glass containers, personal barbecues, sounds equipment, generators, inflatable jumpers, vehicles on park property. Additionally, dogs must be leashed per the Dublin Municipal Code. California State Laws also apply. State law makes cemetery vandalism of all sorts punishable by up to one year in County Jail and prohibits killing birds or destroying nests in cemeteries. A small sign near the entrance of the cemetery lists some of the above rules, plus these additional rules that do not appear to have been formally adopted by the City: • Walk on pathways and do not enter plot areas. Do not lean, sit or stand on grave markers. • Grave markers may not be touched or cleaned. The making of gravestone rubbings is prohibited. • Only relatives, friends and designees may place flowers or tributes within grave plot areas. • The Cemetery shall have the right to remove objects for maintenance and appearance purposes. The existing sign is in disrepair. As the City intends to install way-finding signs at Heritage Park this year, new Cemetery Rules signs could possibly be installed at that time. Staff recommends Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission consider the following wording for rules: Welcome to Dublin Pioneer Cemetery! To maintain respect for the deceased and their families, and ensure an enjoyable historic experience for all, please abide by the following rules: • Cemetery hours are sunrise to one hour after sunset. For your safety, do not enter after dark. • Stay on designated pathways. It is considered disrespectful to walk across graves. • To help preserve the grave markers, do not touch them. • To help maintain a peaceful atmosphere, do not play in the cemetery. • Keep dogs on leash, on designated pathways. Keep pets from urinating or defecating in the cemetery. Dog waste bags are located in the park area. Please clean up after your pet. • Do not disturb the wildlife. • Do not enter plots without the family’s permission. • Please report any vandalism. Cemetery vandalism is crime in California. This cemetery is maintained by the City of Dublin. For more information or to report concerns, call Heritage Park Staff at (925) 452-2100. NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: None. ATTACHMENTS: None.