CITY OF OCONOMOWOC – The common council on Tuesday, Dec. 5, voted to repeal and replace the city’s 2011 ordinance outlining residency restrictions for registered sex offenders, joining a handful of other area communities to do so in the wake of lawsuits and a federal court decision earlier this year.
Under the new rules, registered sex offenders who did not live in the city at the time of their offense could petition the common council to move into Oconomowoc. Such offenders are currently barred from attempting to move to the city under the current ordinance’s “original domicile restriction.”
But those offenders, if allowed to move in, would have to find housing in the 9 percent of the city that does not fall within 1,000 feet of a “child safety zone,” areas near local schools, parks or houses of worship.
About 664 housing units fall within that 9 percent, said Oconomowoc Police Chief Ron Buerger.
“Child safety zone” is such an oxymoron. That’s like saying “snowflake buffer..”
Legitimate question: Why should anyone on the registry have to “petition” for their preexisting privacy, safety and security, that was circumvented by Megan’s law in the first place, be restored?!?!
Oconomowoc is in Wisconsin, (just seems like Florida in it’s oppression)
I’m sure the appeals boards are filled with experts.
How has all of this not reached SCOTUS yet? Much of their 2003 ruling was based on the fact that non of this was a big deal. It has moved well beyond that. This law alone completed barred someone from moving into a town. Now they have to petition the town to be allowed in, and then they’re still restricted to a 1000-foot leash. This is infuriating!