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Lake Jackson focusing on dangers to children
Published October 25, 2009
LAKE JACKSON — City Council has ditched discussion of a teen curfew, for now, instead looking at an ordinance that would prohibit children from loitering at night.
Council also is considering making it illegal for parents to drop their children off in the parking lot and driveway in front of the Recreation Center after the manager of the center said he has seen several near-misses as parents pick their children up from school.
“We’re just trying to look at some different ways to solve some issues,” Mayor Bob Sipple said of the possible loitering ordinance.
City Attorney Sherri Russell will draft the two ordinances and have them ready for City Council to review at its Nov. 2 meeting.
Brett Weinberger, recreation center supervisor, has asked council to approve an ordinance that will stop parents from dropping off children at the entrance of the recreation center parking lot, a place he deems dangerous.
Lt. Keith Traylor said he is onboard with the plan and a new ordinance will give the police department some teeth to make sure children are safe.
“It’s not only a safety issue, it’s a traffic issue,” Weinberger said.
Dropping children off in areas that have not been designated by Brazosport ISD or Lake Jackson is dangerous for the children and stops traffic, Weinberger said. Currently, Rasco Middle School officials ask parents to pick up or drop off their children in the right, northbound lane of Lake Drive or in the drive in front of the school.
The city also allows parents to drop off or pick up their children in the two Recreation Center parking lots to the side of the building.
Weinberger suggests an ordinance that allows police officers to ticket residents who drop their children off in a striped, no stopping area. This proposed area would be in the Recreation Center parking lot and entrance in front of the building, he said.
City Council also discussed a no-loitering ordinance, though members did not discuss specifics. They asked Russell to draft an ordinance that shows legal options in fashioning a no-loitering ordinance. The ordinance is intended to keep children off the streets at night, Sipple said.
A no-loitering ordinance can help police officers deal with late-night crimes happening in Lake Jackson and will help them keep children safe, Sipple said.
City Council will discuss specifics of a loitering ordinance at its next meeting.
In other business Monday, City Council:
APPROVED: An ordinance mandating the licensing of all irrigation installers and setting forth the minimum standards for installing irrigation systems.
Irrigators already follow guidelines given by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The ordinance makes sure irrigators are licensed before they receive a permit from the city, City Manager Bill Yenne said. This ordinance was mandated by the Texas Legislature, he said.
APPROVED: The Planned Unit Development manual as suggested by the planning and zoning commission.
This manual tells developers how to apply for and receive permission to have a Planned Unit Development, an incentive that gives developers flexibility as they zone a piece of land.
APPROVED: Seeking a grant from the state energy conservation office.
As a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the city is eligible to receive $75,000 in grant funds for energy conservation projects, Assistant City Manager Modesto Mundo said. The city must submit a resolution and notice of intent to use the funds soon, and then officials will pick projects, he said.
Possible projects include changing lights at City Hall and the library or installing reflective window tinting on terrace room windows at the Civic Center.
AWARDED: A contract with James Patterson Associates Inc. for the urban landscape design of South Parking Place for $19,270.
The area is proposed to provide parking for the downtown area as part of the downtown revitalization plan, Mundo said. The goal of urban landscape design will be to find ways to make the parking area and adjacent walkways to downtown more inviting, he said.
APPROVED: A professional service agreement with Ince Engineering, LLC for $82,000 to design replacement of two wells and construction of a new well.
The two replacement wells will be at 101 Oyster Creek Drive and 334 Circle Way. The new well will be near the intersection of Highway 288 and FM 2004.
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SAFETY ISSUE
Recreation Center Supervisor Brett Weinberger suggests an ordinance that allows police officers to ticket residents who drop their children off in a striped, no stopping area. This proposed area would be in the Recreation Center parking lot and entrance in front of the building, he said.
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