Community Corner

Public Hearing on Vernon Ordinance Dealing With Drunkenness in Parks Postponed

The hearing had been scheduled for tonight.

A procedural snafu has caused the postponement of a public hearing on a proposed ordinance to make it illegal to be intoxicated in municipal parks and recreation areas.  

The public hearing had been scheduled for tonight at 7:40 p.m. at Town Hall as part of the Town Council meeting. Officially, the new policy would be an amendment to the existing Ordinance No. 111.

But the advertising deadline was not met by town officials and the hearing will not take place as scheduled, a spokeswoman for the mayor's office said on Monday. The hearing could be rescheduled for July 24 as part of a special meeting, the official said.

Police officials want the amendment because, they said, officers have been dealing with "a persistent problem" of public intoxication in town parkland. Currently, there is no mechanism through which the police can remove a person from a park for simply being drunk or high on drugs, police said in the memo.

Currently, one can not possess or consume alcoholic beverages in a municipal park. A proposed amendment to the ordinance would prohibit intoxication as well.

"Intoxicated persons in the parks take away from the enjoyment of the parks by our citizens and have been the subject of numerous complaints of town employees," the memo states.

Town employees said intoxicated people have engaged in criminal mischief, have been fighting and have been relieving themselves in the parks, according to the memo.

"This ordinance will allow the police department to deal with this issue without infringing on the civil rights of those lawfully utilizing the public property," according to the memo.

The proposed penalty for violating the ordinance is $100.

Community Police Officer Charles Hicking told the council it would give officers backup when asking intoxicated people to leave a park. If the person refuses to leave under his or her own accord, a ticket could be  written, he said.

If the council approves the amendment to the ordinance, it would take effect 15 days after it is advertised.

Tonight's council meeting, scheduled for 7:30, does have a public comment session on its agenda.


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