This month the Poplarville Board of Alderen adopted an ordinance prohibiting the presence of vehicles on certain portions of City Park property.

The board officially adopted the ordinance to protect the city’s interests and ownership of the park.

When city officials accepted the land as a gift in 2003 from the Poplarville Community Center, a Mississippi Corporation, they signed the deed promising that if the city ever ceased using the park for any purpose other than as a park, it would be transferred to Pearl River Community College Development Foundation.

Because an issue has developed with people driving onto the park premises, city officials said it could constitute a misuse of the original warranty deed.

Because of this reverter clause and because of people illegally driving onto park property and parking cars behind the rest room area, Mayor Billy Spiers said the city had to formally adopt an ordinance specifically addressing the issue.

Under the ordinance, parking will remain the same. Under no circumstances, however, are cars to drive onto park property. Any violator, if convicted, will be deemed to be a trespasser and guilty of a misdemeanor.

Fines will be no more than $100 for the first offense and between $100 and $500 for every offense thereafter.