RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – The City Council voted to repeal an ordinance that bans registered sex offenders from entering city parks without permission from the city’s chief of police.
The move comes after a state appeals court in January struck down similar bans in Irvine and at county recreational areas. The state Supreme Court in April declined to review the lower court’s decision. Full Article
Like I said; “there’s a village idiot in every town” and Councilman Jesse Petrilla is the fool for Rancho Santa Margarita. It would appear Don Chadd, the president of the largest HOA there has allot more common sense than the entire city counsel! At the time he said taking part in the ban could expose the association to lawsuits. One feels compelled to ask the question “how come Don Chadd knew this and the district attorney and the entire city counsel didn’t? What’s up with that?!?
Some comments about this action by this City Council…. the hearing is worth listening to since there were quite a few speeches, as no council member wanted to waste the opportunity to appear to “save that one child”….
http://cityofrsm.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=274
~ 40 min
– the City of Rancho Santa Margarita has no, zero parks. All park areas within city limits are under the Jurisdiction of the Master HOA, SAMLARC, which has declined to have their areas be included under this ordinance due to liability issues and concerns regarding constitutionality. As such the effect of this ordinance existing or not is null. If this type of law were to truly be protecting children in parks and playgrounds, they would not be and never have been in RSM anyways.
– the most vocal and passionate opponent of the repeal (Councilmember Petrilla) and the one dissenting voter has quite a history himself. See here and judge for yourself. Pot meet Kettle?
http://ranchosantamargarita.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/jesse-petrillas-past-felony-assault-with-a-firearmrancho-santa-margaritaassembly
– it was noted in Councilmembers comments more than once how much time was expended on ‘developing’ this ordinance. Upon a very rudimentary comparison it seems that the main (only?) difference between the RSM ordinance and the Orange County template ordinance (copy and paste?) is the signage requirement. Are the tax payer of RSM not interested how their elected officials and paid staff of their city spend their time?
– most local officials have now come to grips with the local law / state law trumping issue. More than one of them announced efforts are going to be made to make this a law at the state level. Everyone and their families who is effected by this should throw their support behind CA RSOL and their state level lobbying efforts.
Go CA RSOL!
Who’s children were put at risk? The registrant’s child was by not allowing their first line of protection (their parents) to be there for them. Kids often get hurt in parks. Thank God those children by chance didn’t get hurt during the time these horrible, evil punitive measures were in place! Tony Rackauckas used the registrants as his whipping boy for votes to get re-elected. That is not an uncommon thing for politicians but to do so by putting children at risk is beyond belief and itself should be criminal. I think it is vitally important to define to these leaders what harm is more likely to take place in a park. Has there been any history of registrants harming children in parks? No? But there has been history of children sometimes being hurt in parks whether that be by falling from a tree or choking on a hot dog. A registrant’s child isn’t good enough to be protected by their parent because of their parent’s status. That ladies and gentlemen is wrong at the most basic level. TRUTH
One of the councilmen thought it distasteful For registrants to have an organization willing to stand up for their rights? He also was sicken to be seen as the bad guy for trying to protect children. Really? What children? Isn’t the registrant’s child he was there to protect. TRUTH