Proposed law would require sex offender signs

GONZALES — The Gonzales City Council will meet tonight at the City Municipal Building to discuss six resolutions and two ordinances. Of the ordinances to be considered, one would require registered sex offenders to post a sign in their yard alerting city residents to their presence.

The agenda item says that 33 registered sex offenders reside within the 78629 ZIP code, 24 of those within the city limits. The proposed ordinance states that the city “is charged with protecting the health and safety of all its citizens” and the rule is to fulfill this trust.

Current rules in the city ordinance restrict sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of where children regularly congregate, bans offenders from entering child safety zones or loitering within 300 feet of a child safety zone and prohibits them from participating in Halloween trick-or-treat activities.

And now, council will decide to add the sign requirement or not.

The language states the sign would be, “a square shape display made of wood, plastic or other material being no smaller than two feet in width by two feet in length with white backing and black lettering visible at all times from the nearest pubic roadway that states as follows: ‘A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER LIVES HERE.’”

There would be exceptions to the rule such as if the person that committed the offense described prior to the date of adoption of the rule has complied with all the sex offender registration laws of the state, the person established the permanent or temporary residence prior to the date of adoption of the rule and has complied with all the sex offender registration laws of the state, the person was a minor at the time of the offense or if the person is currently a minor.

Anyone not following the rule would be subject to a fine not to exceed $2,000. 

Council will also consider:

• Paving portions of Seydler and College streets for $423,164.30.

• Allowing the city manager to enter into a lease agreement for hay baling at the city landfill.

• Selecting architects for the municipal library project, the finalists being Brad Cutright of Cutright and Allen of LaGrange, Tim Gescheidle of TSG Architects of Gonzales and Ron Hobbs of Ron Hobbs Architects of Garland.

• Allowing the sale of alcohol on Confederate Square for the Winterfest activities.