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<br />-:[#11' ?f/J/~1 <br /> <br />ORDINANCE NO. 3 2 q IJ? <br /> <br />AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 42 "MISCELLANEOUS OFFENSES" OF THE <br />CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF LA PORTE BY AMENDING ARTICLE V <br />"REGULATION OF SEX OFFENDER RESIDENCY" , BY ADDING CERTAIN <br />DEFINITIONS; MAKING IT UNLAWFUL FOR CERTAIN SEX OFFENDERS TO <br />RESIDE WITHIN 1000 FEET OF PREMISES WHERE CHILDREN GATHER; <br />PROVIDING FINDINGS OF FACT AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED THERETO; <br />PROVIDING AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES; PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY; <br />PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; CONTAINING AN OPEN MEETINGS <br />CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR THE PUBLICATION OF THE CAPTION HEREOF; AND <br />PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE HEREOF; <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the City of La Porte, Texas (herein, the "City"), being <br />a home-rule city having authority to utilize police power <br />regulation for the health, safety and general welfare of the <br />citizens of the City; and, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the City Council is deeply concerned about the numerous <br />and recent occurrences in our state and elsewhere, whereby sex <br />offenders convicted of sexual offenses involving children, who <br />have been released from custody and repeat the unlawful acts for <br />which they had been originally convicted; and, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the City Council finds from the evidence the recidivism <br />rate for released sex offenders alarmingly high, especially for <br />those who commit their crimes against children; and, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the City is becoming an increasingly attractive place <br />for families with young children; and, <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the <br />restrict the <br />will provide <br />City; and <br /> <br />City Council finds <br />property available <br />better protection <br /> <br />that establishing a policy to <br />for residence of sex offenders <br />for children gathering in the <br /> <br />WHEREAS, Article 42.l2(13B) of the Texas <br />Procedure, provides a 1,000 foot safety zone <br />condition of probation for those convicted <br />offenses; and <br /> <br />Code of Criminal <br />for children, as a <br />of certain sexual <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the laws of the State of Texas, including those found <br />in Chapter 51 of the Texas Local Government Code, and the City <br />Charter provide the City authority to adopt ordinances for the <br />good government, peace, order, and welfare of the municipality; <br /> <br />NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF <br />LA PORTE, TEXAS: <br />