Latest news with #LongmontCityCouncil
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Longmont City Council limits where sex offenders can live
After months of discussion and public input, the Longmont City Council unanimously passed a local law Tuesday night limiting residency options for sex offenders living in the city. The topic has been contentious for the council, as the discussion about residency restrictions for sex offenders has prompted several members of the public to speak on the issue. The local law, or ordinance, will place residency restrictions on registered sex offenders, including on where they can live and on how many can live together. 'This is just a first step, and it's something reasonable,' Councilmember Diane Crist said. 'This is just the beginning of the discussion.' While the council voted unanimously in favor of the ordinance, some councilmembers didn't express full-throated support for the new law. 'I don't think this is necessarily a win for either side,' Mayor Joan Peck said. 'There were a lot of emotions here. We don't generally make policy based on emotions, but we do listen to everyone.' Councilmember Aren Rodriguez said he finds the ordinance problematic, despite voting for it. 'I don't believe that it will increase the safety of anybody in this community,' Rodriguez said. 'I believe it will make winners and losers out of certain neighborhoods.' Recent City Council meeting attendees have voiced apparent concerns about a residence on Winding Drive in northeast Longmont, where multiple sex offenders are living. The residence is operated by Mobarez Solutions, which runs a sober living program for people with sex offense convictions. The ordinance amends Title 10 of the Longmont Municipal Code to add the residency restrictions for registered sex offenders in the city. The ordinance makes it illegal for a registered sex offender to live within 500 feet of a school, child care center, private park or public park. The rule applies to both permanent and temporary residences. The ordinance also makes it illegal for people to rent any property to a registered sex offender 'with the knowledge' that it would violate the boundaries, the ordinance text in the City Council meeting agenda packet says. Under the ordinance, 'permanent residence' means a place where a person lodges or resides for five or more consecutive days. And 'temporary residence' means a place where a person lodges or resides for five or more days 'in the aggregate' during any calendar year and is not the person's permanent residence, or a place where a person 'routinely abides, lodges, or resides' for five consecutive or nonconsecutive days in any month and is not the person's permanent address, the ordinance text says. The ordinance also says that it will be illegal for a sex offender to live with three or more registered sex offenders 'unless such individuals are related as parent and children, as siblings, or by marriage,' the ordinance text says. The new law, according to the text, would not apply if: • A registered sex offender had established their permanent or temporary residence before the new law's effective date — but that exception would not apply if the registered sex offender committed and was subsequently convicted of an offense, for which registration under the Colorado Sex Offender Registration Act is required, after the effective date; • The offender is placed in the residence pursuant to a state-licensed foster care program; or • The school, private park, public park or child care center was opened after the offender established the permanent or temporary residence. The law aims to create areas that prohibit sex offenders and predators from living 'around locations where children regularly congregate in concentrated numbers,' as stated in the ordinance text. In the ordinance, 'registered sex offender' means a person who has been found to be a sexually violent predator pursuant to state statute 18-3-414.5 — or a person required to register under the Colorado Sex Offender Registration Act who has been convicted of a felony for an offense requiring registration with a victim less than 18 years old, has multiple convictions for offenses requiring registration, or whose 'offense(s) requiring registration' involve multiple victims, the text says.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jake Marsing announces candidacy for Longmont City Council
Editor's note: The Times-Call will run candidate announcement stories as we receive the information. Jake Marsing is running for one of the two at-large seats on the Longmont City Council that are up for election this November. The 30-year-old husband, father and Frederick High School teacher announced his candidacy early Thursday morning in a news release and YouTube video. 'My family has been part of this community for five generations,' Marsing said. 'I love this city. It's in my blood. But Longmont isn't the same farm town my great-grandparents settled in. It's not even the bedroom community I grew up in.' Instead, Marsing called Longmont a '21st-century city' facing challenges that include soaring housing costs, unaffordable and inaccessible childcare and difficult decisions about growth, sustainability and the environment. Marsing listed expanding access to affordable and attainable housing, sustainable growth and addressing high childcare costs as top priorities, should he be elected. 'We need leadership that stands up for working-class folks, protects what makes Longmont special, and honors our past but is ready to take bold action for the future. That's why I'm running — to build a Longmont for everybody.' Marsing has served as professional staff in the Colorado General Assembly, as an officer in the Boulder County Democratic Party and as a past member of Longmont's Housing and Human Services Advisory Board. He grew up in north Longmont. Marsing has received numerous endorsements from current and former public officials according to his campaign website, including: Democratic State Rep. Karen McCormick, Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett and former Longmont City Councilmember Tim Waters. The Longmont City Council's mayoral seat, both at-large seats and Ward 2 seat are all up for election on Nov. 4. Alex Kalkhofer is also running for one of the two at-large seats.
