2023-72 Ordinance Amending City Code Chapter 41.3 Downtown Park

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November 2, 2023 TO: Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe & Decatur City Council Members FROM: Scot Wrighton, City Manager RE: Chapter 41 Amendment Almost one year ago the City Council adopted an ordinance prohibiting overnight use of the city's two downtown parks (Central Park and Preston Jackson Park). Because this ordinance was controversial and created a new policy position concerning the city's central business district green spaces, the council requested that the ordinance be re-examined after one year. Consequently, the adopted ordinance included a sunset clause. It is recommended that last year's ordinance now be amended only to delete the sunset clause. No other language change to the original ordinance is proposed. I believe the ordinance adopted last year has had the desired effect. There has been less vandalism in the parks, less debris in the parks and fewer complaints of intimidation. Included in the packet material is a memo from Police Chief Brandel delineating the number and nature of police contacts in the downtown parks since the appropriate signage was installed.