HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992 Ordinance No. 002OHD INA:-. r:::-.o.L
S ElllES OF !091-l!l!'t2
IIY AUT II Oll l'l'Y
'OU'.\'C II. RILi. NO. 2
1:-JTllODUCED IJY CO UNC Ii,
~I E~IRER GUL LEY
AN ORD INAN C~; ,\~!END ING T ITLE 7, CHAPTER 61', OY T II E ADD IT ION 0 1' i\ NE W
SECTIO N I I , AN D AMEND ING T ITLE 15, CII.\PT ER 6, BY T II E ADD IT ION F NEW
S ECTIONS 7 AND 8. TO Tli E E NGLEWOOD ~!UN I 11',\I. COD!l 1985 REGi\llD ING
G llAFFITI.
WHEREAS, pro per ly defnced by gnng me mbers by menns of pninting, cl rnwin c, writing ,
etc hinc, or cnrvin c ,._dlh point , sprny point, ink, knife or other s imi lnr met hod on pub lic or
pri vate pr operly, commo nly refe rr ed to os "gong graffiti .'' is nn oct of vondali s;m; nnd
WHEREAS, go ng member s frequentl y deface pro perty by pointing , drnwing, writin g,
etching , or cnrv ing gang gr affiti on places suc h ns brici,;es, bui ldi ngs, signs, benches,
telephone booths, doorways, walkways, and nll eywnys, to u,Jverti sc th ei r gang, mark thei r
lerr itor)', challenge competing giings, arid communicnte r,essngcs of com rnde ry , rivn lry,
an d de nth; ond
WH EREAS, gnnc crnffili is the nr ~l irdirntion of cnng nc ti vi ty nncl interest inn
geoc rophi cnl oreo , r:n d prompt removn1 or P.rn dicnti on of s uch gnng crnffiti is rrucin l tu lnw
en forcement efforts to contro l the spread of gnn g ncliv ky nnct vio lcnre I ccn usc it nvoids th e
n\lrocti on of nrlditionn l b,rrnffili and deliv e rs the mcs snge t h:n n community wi ll not to lcrnte
gnng grnffiti; nnd
WHEREAS , gnnc grnffiti constitutes n public nuis &nrc whic h mu ses deprecin ti on of th e
vn lue of the dcfn ced prope rty , th e su rr ounding prop ert y, nn d con tribu tes to th e detcrioro tion of
the neighbo rh ood nnd the City in gcnernl: nnd
\\'lt ERE AS, dep recintion ofpropen · vn lu cs nnct dct erio rl'\l :011 ofneighhorho oei ;; lcn<'s to
econo mic blicht , nn inc rcns c i11 criminnl nc li\'it y, nNl is injuri ous to 1h 1.? puhli r hcnlth,
!-n foty, morn ls nncl gc:nn:i l welfn re of the rc ::.iclent s of th e City ;
'.\'011' ,·11 1,llEFO RI·:. BE IT O llD .\l'.\'Ell R\' TIii•: r 1T\' ('Ol ''.\'I 'II , ()F TIil•:, ·11 \' c IF
1·:\Gl.~:ll'OOU , CC)LOl<.\D t1 , .\~ FO l.l.ll\\'~
~ T it :C"> 7, Clrn pter 6 F', of the En gl<'wood '.\t un icipn l Cnclc> 19"':'i ,~ hr·H h~ .1 mP11d('d by
ndding il new ec ul,n 11, wh ic h shnll rea d ns foll ows:
i-G F-11 Gll AFF I rJ PllO lll lllTE O
IT S11.\LI . RE l'\1,,1\\'Ft;I. FO il ,I\\' r1 rn~o :-; TO l'.\I \T , ~l'P..\\' l'\1\1',
DR AW, \\'H ITE , 1•:TCll , C'.\ll\'l•: n r ll \' ,\\\' ~D I 11 .. \I! \11·:T IIC ll l 11 11.\TSll l•:\'Ell
ll E F.\f'E \\\' l'I 'Ill.I C' Oi l P HIi ' \Tl•: l'l!Cl l'FllT \' E,C T l'T 11 ll ll II I 11 11.'\
PE IDII SS IO '.\' OF TII E 0 11'\E H OF l'lll l',l 'l'E l'I O l'Elff\', T Iil•: c·1 I \'
~l,1'.\',I GF.R J'( T IIE r ·.1~1-: ()F ('11 \' l'HOl'EH I'\', n u 111 F ,J 'l'F l!I l<fl]'\'
II FFIC'F I! • I· ,\'.:\' en IIEH 1'1 1\1 1,· PW ll'FI< I\'
10 b
~ Tnle 15. ('h,1p1 n fi , <if the En glewood :ii l11nirip11 I Cnd c l!l Sf',, twnhyam1:1H ll'cl hy
nddin c n ne w Section i wh1t h !-hall rt:ul 11 s fo \lO\\S :
15-6-7: llEFI NITIO N. :
GRAFFITI
GA NG
TII E DEFA CING OF PUB LI C OR PR IVATf:
PROPERTY BY ME ANS OF PAINTING ,
DRA WING, WRITI NG , ETC III NG, OR CARV ING
WITH PAI NT, S PRAY PAINT , INK, KNIFE , OR
ANY S l~IIL~R METHOD WI THOUT WRITTEN
PER. II SS IO N OF TII E OW NER/PROPERTY
OW NE R.
A GROUP OF THREE OR ~JORE IND IVID UALS
WI TH A COMMON INTE RE ST , BO ND, OR
ACTIVITY CHARACTER IZED BY CRIMINAL OR
DE LINQUENT CONDUCT.
G1\. 'G GRAFFITI THE DEFACING OF PUBLIC OR PRIVATE
PROPERTY BY ME WJ JmS 01' G1\N GS AY MEAN S
OF PAI NT I NG, DRAW ING, WRITING , ETCH ING,
OR CA RVI NG WITH PAINT, SPRAY PAINT, INK,
l(N IF E, OR ANY SIMIL AR ~IE1'HOD WITHOUT
WRITT EN PERMISSI ON OF THE
OWNER/PR OPERTY OWNER .
OW NE R /PRO PERT Y
OWNER
A':>IY PE RSON OW NING, Ll,ASING , OCC UP\'ING,
OR 1-IAVl:--'G CONTROi, OR POSSESS ION OF ANY
PROPERTY IN THE CIT Y.
Si'.tli2n.1. T,tle 15. Cha pter 6, of the Englew ood ~l unici pnl Code 1985 is he reby am end ed by
ndding n new .... erll on S "hich shnll ren d ns fo ll ows:
!'1 -li-!1FF.,n :n l'llfll'EHT\':
lll:l.LAH .\1'1 0 :-i 0r· l'U lll.l C :--' 'I ,\X 'I•:. ,\I.I . Pl!lll'Ellr\' llE F1\CED 11\'
GRAFF ITI Oil U.\:--'G GRAFFITI WIII CII IS \"IS IBLI •: TO PLlll LI C VIEW IS
I IEREIJ\' DEC LARED TO IJls ,\ PUB LI C NU I ,\:-ICE ,\ND 1:--' TIIE
ISTERE ST Or PUlll.l C II EALTII . SAFETY . ~IORAI.S .. IND GENE R,\L
IIEI.F,\HE, S II AI.I.. BE ABATED AS S ET FORT I! IN TIii , ~ECT ION
.\ll.l l'E~IEN I' OF (;R AFF ITI OR UANl ; GH,IFFITI. ll'II EN l·:\'1-:H AN\'
1,R.\rl·ITI OR (;,\NU C:H AF ffl'I 'IIAI.I. Ill-: l'l)l'Nll. TIii·: ('I I'\'
\I \N.\(;1-:1< Ill( Ill ~ n 1-:s 1c;;,;1c ,: .;11 .1 1.1. llHllEH I'll!•: (l('('{'l'.\NT Ill(
.,,\\,·.h IJF 1111•: l'HOl'l•:Hl'Y ll'()N \\'III CI I TIi i•: 1;H,\FF ITI OH 1;,\N1;
1;1( IFFI 11 S ll ,\LL 1-::-.1 . T. AT 111 S OWN li Xl'l •:NS I•: IT, RD IOVE 01(
·,11,1:11 r TIii-: S,\\11•: \l'ITIII N Tll'EN T\'-FOl 'll 21, "c)t'HS OH ~1·r·11
I :, 111 IS F\1 'F:'~ (}F Tll'ENT\' H ll 'I( 12 1 I Ii JI' I,~ ·" llE SJt;N ,\ I Ell
1, \IH I I 1~:t; II\' r111-: ('IT \' ~IAN.\l;r:H OH III S ll l·:S 1t;\1-:1-: IF TIii•:
tlt'l'l'l'.\ST OIi O\l'NEH DOES SC" ('0 :11 1'1.\' \l'IT II TIi i•: ORll J•:H OF
11 11-: ,·1 I\' \I.\, \(;EH OH III S m:,.,;\E I•:, rill-:< 'l'I'\' :I I.\N,\t;i-:11 OH III S
. 2.
fl
l)ES IG NEE ~1,\Y CAUSE TIIE (;Jl,\rF IT I o n G,\:,,/(; Gl<AFFIT I TO DE
HE~IOVW OR CO llHE CTED ,\NO ALL EXPl•:N.'I•: INCU lliU:D TIIEllf:IJY
~111\1 .L llF: PAIi) DY TIii-: SA Ii) 0 CUP,I NT ()fl fl\VN f,;J! Mill ~IAY II E
l!F: '()\IF:flf•:o llY TIIE CITY 1:-1 ,\N ACTION AGA INST rm; OCCU PA NT
ANl)/Qf( OWNER .
IN AL I, CA ES ll'II ERE TIIE CITY MA NAG EI! Oil III S DE S IGN EE SI: .1,
INCU R ANY EXPEN S F; FOR ABATI 'G ANY GluWF IT I OR GANG
C.RAFF ITI FOUND UPON ANY LOT OR PREMI SES, T II E EXPENSE OF
SUC II ABATE ~IE NT PLUS TWE NT Y-FIVE PER f;NT (25'~) FO R
11\"C Jl)E NTA L COSTS MAY BE CHAR GE D AG , INS T TIIF: LOT OR
PRF;i ll SES UPON OR ON ACCOUNT OF WIII CII S UC II EXPF;N F: WAS
INCU RRED, OR FROM WH ICH SUCH GRAFFITI OR GANG GRAFF ITI
WA S REMOV ED OR ABATED . A BILL FOR SU CII i;XPENSE S HALL BE
MA ILED TO THE OCCUPANT AND/OR THE OWNE R AND IF T II E
SAME SHALL 'OT BE PAID WITH IN SIXTY (60) OAYS, TIIE CITY
MANAGER OR HI S DESIGN EE S HALL ADD ANOT HER TWENTY -FIVE
PERCENT (25%) AS PENALTY AN D S HALL CAUSE TII E SAME TO BE
AS SESSED UPON SU CH LOT OR PREM ISES UPON WH ICH TIH:
GRAFF ITI OR GA 'G GllAFFl'l'I F:XI STED ,
Introduced, rend in rull , nnd pnssed on first r,nding on th e i 61h dny or Decembe r , 1991.
Pu bli shed ns n 0,11 fo r nn Or<iinnnce on the 19th dny of Dec ember, 199 1.
Rend by title nnc l pn ssccl on final ren ding on the 6th dny of Jnnun ry , I 992.
Publi shC!d by t itle ns Orclin nnc-e ':\'o.L , Series of 1992 0 11 th e 9th <l ny of Jnnun ry, 1992.
ATTES T :
~ ____ tetu1_u;_~l ~~~
Louc-richin .\ F.IJ i .. , n c•put _,. C'1ty flt-r k
I, 1.o ucri'ihin :\ Elli~. D, puty City Clerk of the Ci t) of Engle•\\ c,ri d, ('olor.1d o, hu t·h)
ce rt ify th:it th e :ihc vc :ind foreg oing is n true copy of the Ordi nan ce p:,.,i;::c,cl on lin ,11 r<•:iding
:in cl publish c<l by tnlc :is Orclmnnce No. 2-, Sc rirs of 1992 .
. 3.
Date
December 16, 1991
JNrnATED BY
STAFF SOURCES
COUNCO. COIOIUNJCA11ON
Ajlenda Item
11 c
Subject Ordinance
Prohibiting graffiti
and requtrtng Its
removal .
Department of Safety Services and the
Department of Community Development
Allan F. Stanley, Director of Safety Services
Dorothy Romans, Safety Services
Richard S . Wanush , Director of Commlllllty Development
-188UB/AC110111 PROPOSED
Approve a bill for an ordinance amending Title 7 and Title 15 of the 1985 Engtcwood
Municipal Code , regarding graffiti and gang graffiti.
PREVIOUS COUNCO. AC11ON
The Council has ronsldered this matter tnformally, but has taken no formal action.
STAFF ANALYSIS
The application of graffiti and gang graffiti to bc ·th private fllld public property Is
becoming an Increasing problem and there are no regulations In the Englewood
Municipal Code to either prohibit the applicatlc,n of graffiti or gang graffiti, or to
require Its removal . Law Enforcement officers and Code Enforcement officers cannot
effectively control this problem without havtng the authority to do so established In
the Municipal Cod e.
There are two factors to be addressed: the first concerns the person or persons who
a pply the gr affi ti or gang graffiti : and the s econd establishes the responsibility for Its
prompt r emoval . Co nce rning the first Issu e , It Is recommended that the 1985
Engl ewood mmllclpal Cod e b e amended by adding section 11 to Title 7 , Chapter 6F,
-
makin g It unlawful for an y p erson t o defa ce any private or public property with
gr affiti or gang graffi ti . TIU e 7 co n cerns Public Safety, and the amendment would
give Police Officers the authority to apprehend and to charge with a violation of the
Englewood Munlctpal Code, persons observed In the act of applying graffiti or gang
grafllti to private or publlc property without the written consent of the owner to do
so.
It ts further recommended that TIile 15, Health, Sanitation am! Environmental
Protection, be amended by addlng a new section whJch would declare the defactng of
private or public property with graffiti or gang graffiti a public nuisance, and provide
for Its prompt removal . It Is recogruzed that the property owner has been
" 1c tlrn1zed " when the graffiti ts applled to the structure, but the ultimate
responsibility must Ile with the owner to maintain hJs/her property.
The proposed ordlnance ts patterned after the existing weed , trash, and litter
ordlnance; provldlng a period of tlme In which the property owner mu11t remove the
offense or the City will do so and bill the property owner. The ordlnance would be
enforced by Neighborhood Services.
BACKGROUND
Havtng structures In Englewood defaced with graffiti Is not something that has Just
started; neither Is It unlque to Englewood . Communltics all over the United States
are addrcsstu.g this problem, prtmartly In response to gang actlvtty. In this area,
Denver, Boulder, Aurora, Lakewood have all adopted spectflc ordinances reqwrtng
that persons remove graffiti from their property and making It unlawful to apply
graffiti 01' gang graffiti to private or public property.
Untll recently, graffiti consisted of fairly simple graphics or messages to or about a
particular neighbor. teacher, or principal which was painted or CBIVCd on
neighborhood fences , buildlngs or walls. Today, graffiti Is also a fonn of ga~ig
communication, through which means tcrrttory Is staked out by one gBD6, and
challenged by rival gangs . Other codes Identify weapons and lndlvlduals and/or
groups targeted for retaliation or even death.
Once the graffiti or gang graffiti ts applied to a structure, others come along and add
to It.
Englewood City and school officials , business people and ctllLens recognized the
seriousness of the graffiti problem when the walls of the underpasses along the
Samuel L. Love path, the water tower at Belleview and Broadway, at the rear of the
bulldlngs on the east s ide of the 3900 block of South P,roadway were severely
vandalized . It was determined at that tlme that regula tions to control this problem
were necessary, but no action was taken.
It ts Important to r emove the paint or other substance as soon as possible after It has
bee n applied. After It soaks Into the structure, It Is more dlfflcult to remove, -
resulting In more damage to the property.
The graffiti can be removed by painting It out, or by the use of special equipment.
There arc also several companies that contract to remove ll from structures. Another
option would be for the City to purchase the equipment and to loan or lease It to the
property owner or to have staff persons remove the graffiti and charge a nominal fee
for U1e use of the equipment and for the staff person's salary.
The Englewood School District has purchased a 11.lgh powered, high-pressure
sandblaster which U1ey use to remove graIDU or gang graffiti from school property as
soon as ll Is observed . The equipment Is about the size of a suitcase, and weighs 60
to 70 pounds , so ll ls very portable. II cost between $600 and $800.
The staff has discussed the proposed ordinance w1Ut the Governmental Affairs
Commlttee of the Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce In September. It was
the consensus of the members of Uiat Comnllttee that the City should adopt a "very
strong gramu ordinance that dlrect.s and forces prnperty owners to Immediately clean
up and get rid of any graffiti on U1elr property."
The Clean, Green and Proud Commission will repare a brochure for distribution
throughout the City describing ways to remove graffiti and gang graffiti .
nNANCIAt,
N/A