Sex offender ordinance on Planning Board agenda

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Staff report
Sex offenders would be banned from parks, public libraries and the county fairgrounds under a proposed ordinance.
The Rowan County Planning Board is scheduled Monday night to discuss the ordinance, which has been in the works for several weeks.
The board will also hold a public hearing on it.
Last fall, the Rowan County Board of Commissioners directed the planning staff and Planning Board to develop an ordinance.
A committee of the Planning Board, headed by Mac Butner, has held several meetings and met with law enforcement officials and County Attorney Jay Dees.
In a memo to the Planning Board, staff noted that an ordinance adopted by the town of Woodfin in 2005 was used as the model for the Rowan ordinance. The Woodfin ordinance was challenged in the courts and upheld by the N.C. Court of Appeals in October 2007.
There are 207 registered sex offenders in Rowan County, according to the State Bureau of Investigations.
The ordinance says no registered sex offender may enter upon any county parks or recreation area, fairgrounds or public library.
The only exception would be if the county facility is used as a polling place for an election. In that case, the sex offender may enter for the limited purpose of voting ó if he or she qualifies to do so at that polling place ó without being charged.
Otherwise, each entry of the properties will constitute a separate offense.
Anyone who is found in violation will be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor, which carries a fine of up to $500 per offense and /or 30 days in jail.
Under the proposal, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office or other law enforcement agency with jurisdiction will have responsibility for enforcement.
Dees is working with Salisbury and Rockwell, where libraries are located, to develop an enforcement agreement.
As proposed, the ban would apply only to areas of the county that are outside municipalities. A provision would allow a town or city to adopt the ordinance and apply it to municipal parks and recreation facilities.
The Planning Board will make a recommendation to county commissioners, who have the final authority.
The Planning Board meets at 7 p.m. Monday in the J. Newton Cohen Sr. Meeting Room, County Administrative Offices Building, 130 W. Innes St.
The board will also recognize four new members who were recently appointed: John Linker, Ann Furr, Greg Edds and Michael Caskey.