Council could vote on plan Dec. 8 (Dec. 1)
By: Lauren Burgoon
WASHINGTON Next week the public will have a final chance to comment on proposed residency restrictions for pedophiles, and the Township Council could vote on the measure the same night. Yet as it stands now, neither the public nor council will have an official map available to show the exact delineation of the proposed restrictive zones.
There are no definitive plans to create an official map before then and the clerk’s office had not been instructed as of Tuesday to create such a diagram. The fact that no map exists is drawing a split reaction from the council. In interviews this week, two said they want to see an official map outlining the anti-pedophile zones before voting on the ordinance, while two said a map before the final vote is not critical to judging the ordinance.
It was clear at the Nov. 10 public hearing that residents were unsure of exactly what the pedophile free zones would encompass. The zones cover a 2,500-foot circumference around parks, day-care centers and schools, but in the absence of a map showing the zone, residents quickly resorted to an 80-20 percent split, with some claiming that 80 percent of the town would be covered under the ordinance. But though several people latched onto the split when making points, no one could verify the figure’s origin or factuality.
Until there is an official map, the exact coverage of the pedophile-free zones will not be known. However, Councilman David Boyne said the split between affected and unaffected areas depends on whether land mass or population is the measuring stick.
"If you’re talking land mass, it’s not 80-20 considering the farmland we have. But from a population perspective, it could very well be that or even more than 80 percent," he said. "It would definitely cover all of Town Center, where a lot of our population is concentrated, and it would cover parts of the developments on (Route) 526."
Mr. Boyne and Councilwoman Ronda Hyams said the unavailability of an official map showing the exact locations to be affected would not prevent them from casting a vote on the ordinance. Councilmen Larry Schneider and Bill Lesniak both said they want to see a map before the Dec. 8 hearing and possible vote. Councilwoman Sonja Walter could not be reached for comment.
"I’m comfortable voting without a map. I drew a rough outline using the town’s drug-free zone maps, which measure at 500 to 1,000 feet," Mr. Boyne said, adding that it is relatively easy to increase the circumference of the drug-free zones to match the proposed anti-pedophile areas because the maps are to scale.
"You get a good approximation of where the zones will be," he said.
Other council members are not as comfortable with an approximation.
"Without a map, what’s the point of voting on this? We don’t have all of the information," Mr. Schneider said. "I’m not going to vote on something I don’t fully understand."
As it stands, there are other questions unanswered, he added.
"How are we going to enforce this? What’s it going to cost? These are factors that should play into our decision," said Mr. Schneider, who was not at the Nov. 10 public forum. "Of course, you can’t put a price on children’s safety and all of us on the council do have children ourselves but I’m concerned about our budget. … We can’t just pass this just to pass it, without knowing the impact. That’s not good enough."
Mr. Lesniak said he also has unanswered questions about the proposed zones, but declined to elaborate. Still, he indicated he wants all questions answered and a map provided before casting a vote.
Most questions have been answered, especially regarding enforcement, Mr. Boyne insisted. He noted that an employee from the county prosecutor’s office had attended the public forum and explained how the ordinance is enforced. Pedophiles register with the prosecutor’s office and provide an address. The office then informs the local police about the pedophile and the police run an address check to see if the person is in a restricted zone. If so, the police deliver a letter telling the pedophile to move within 60 days.
Some previous questions concerned including the entire township under the ordinance. Though that is widely considered unconstitutional and no local municipality has attempted it, a federal court already upheld Iowa’s statewide law to create 2,000-foot zones.
In the face of other lingering questions, council members said they will spend time up to the hearing and final vote conducting personal research. Several expressed doubts at previous meetings about the effectiveness of anti-pedophile zones, a topic that is likely to arise again before the ordinance is voted upon.
In regard to creating a map, Ms. Hyams said it typically falls to the council member who asked for ordinance introduction to gather basic research for the group, in this case Mr. Boyne. Mr. Boyne said Tuesday he will look into the issue.
The public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at the senior center in the Municipal Complex on Route 526.