Laserfiche WebLink
Item No. 10 <br />memorandum <br />TO: City Council <br />Gene Anderson, Interim City Manager <br />FROM: Bob Hundley, Chief of Police <br />SUBJECT: SAFE ZONE ORDINANCE <br />DATE: September 3, 2019 <br />BACKGROUND: A petition was received from a local business owner regarding the creation of <br />a safe zone at local hotel and apartment housing in the City of Paris. Along with the petition was <br />an attached city ordinance from the city of Grand Prairie entitled Housing Enforcement. This <br />ordinance provides for education of hotel and apartment owners, sets inspection standards and <br />provides for enforcement including criminal charges for owner / operators. <br />STATUS OF ISSUE: Upon review of the ordinance, it appears to have far reaching inspection <br />standards and calls on the owners for compliance and/or criminal enforcement if standards are not <br />met. Similar ordinances, some with greater reach, have been met with legal challenges, some <br />successful, in other parts of the country, and should council provide direction to pursue such an <br />ordinance, great care will need to be taken to craft an ordinance that will not be as susceptible to <br />such legal challenges. <br />BUDGET: No cost to the budget has been considered until direction is provided. <br />RECOMMENDATION: Review the attached ordinance and provide direction to the staff. <br />