Proposed Ordinance #3

Nice sentiment, but does it cut back crime or piss locals off?

Manitou Springs City Council has proposed three(3) ordinances to the Soda Springs Park Safety Task Force. These ordinances are supposed to make the park safer for everyone, cut down on crime, etc. If the Task Force accepts any of the ordinances, it will then go to Council and they will vote during the next City Council Meeting. Here is the third ordinance that was proposed by Matt Carpenter (Mayor Pro-Tem, City Council Ward 3):




COUNCIL BILL NO. ____

ORDINANCE NO. ____

ORDINANCE

AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING HOURS OF USE FOR THE CITY’S PUBLIC
PARKS
______________

WHEREAS, the City Council understands the need to limit the hours of use of the City’s
public parks; and

WHEREAS, limiting the hours of use of the City’s public parks is beneficial to the safety and
welfare of the citizens of the City of Manitou Springs; and

WHEREAS, the City Council desires to revise the hours of use of the City’s public parks.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF MANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADO, THAT:

Section 1:
[Existing Code:
12.24.010 – Use of facilities—Hours prohibited.
Use of playground equipment and other facilities in city parks is prohibited between the
hours of eleven p.m. and six a.m.

Strategy 1:
Dusk to Dawn. (Dusk to Dawn has legal meaning and has been used for other
ordinances.)

Strategy 2:
Summer Hours/Winter Hours.]

Section 12.24.010 of the Manitou Springs Municipal Code is hereby repealed and re-
enacted as follows:

12.24.010 – Use of facilities—Hours prohibited.

Use of playground equipment and other facilities in city parks is prohibited between
XXX and XXX [***from XXX to XXX and between XXX and XXX from XXX
to XXX***].

Section 2:

Section 3:

If any article, section, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of the ordinance is
held to be unconstitutional or invalid for any reason, such decision shall not affect
the validity or constitutionality of the remaining portion of this ordinance. The
City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this ordinance and each
part or parts hereof irrespective of the fact that any one part or parts be declared
unconstitutional or invalid.

The repeal or modification of any provision of Manitou Springs Municipal Code
by this ordinance shall not release, extinguish, alter, modify or change in whole or

Section 4:

in part any penalty, forfeiture or liability, either civil or criminal, which shall have
been incurred under such provision. Each provision shall be treated and held as
still remaining in force for the purpose of sustaining any and all proper actions,
suits, proceedings and prosecutions for enforcement of the penalty, forfeiture or
liability, as well as for the purpose of sustaining any judgment, decree or order
which can or may be rendered, entered or made in such actions, suits, proceedings
or prosecutions.

This ordinance shall take effect five (5) days after final approval and adoption on
second reading.

Passed on First Reading and Ordered Published this XXX day of XXX, 2012.

/s/ Donna Kast
City Clerk

A Public Hearing on this ordinance will be held at the XXX XXX, 2012 City Council meeting.
The Council Meeting will be held at 7:00 P.M. at City Hall, 606 Manitou Avenue, Manitou
Springs, Colorado.

Ordinance Published: XXX, 2012 (in full).
City’s Official Website and at City Hall

_________________________________________


I'm sorry, but I don't know what smoking cigarettes has to do with cutting back crime and vandalism in Soda Springs Park. This is another law-enforcement nightmare. If locals get cited for smoking in the pavilion or park, those locals will immediately call the police whenever a tourist or rich person lights up a cigarette there. Our police force is needed elsewhere in Manitou Springs - they really don't want to be driving down to Soda Springs Park every 5 minutes for a smoking violation.