ORDINANCE No. 176781

*Amend the date of the Designation of Prostitution-Free Zones (Ordinance; amend Code Section 14B.30.020)

The City of Portland ordains:

Section 1.  The Council finds:

1.  The designation of the City of Portland’s Prostitution-Free Zones is due to expire, by operation of P.C.C. 14.150.010, on August 3, 2002.

2.  The designation of the City of Portland’s Drug-Free Zones is due to expire, by operation of P.C.C. 14.150.010, on October 8, 2002.

3.  In order to determine where appropriate boundaries of any re-authorized Prostitution-or Drug-Free Zones might be drawn, the Office of the City Attorney has begun an analysis of available crime data and is awaiting updated reports on prostitution and drug crime from the Police Bureau.

4.  Analysis of crime data trends by the Office of the City Attorney indicates a shift in the number and locations of prostitution and drug crimes in the City, and the City Attorney is likely to recommend that the Council adopt new boundaries for the Zones if it decides to re-authorize the Zones.

5.  If P.C.C. 14.150.010 is re-authorized without amendment, it requires Council to base a decision on Zone boundaries on arrest data for a twelve-month period within the eighteen months immediately preceding designation.

6.  Arrest data is not yet available for March of 2002, and if it does not become available before August 3, 2002, the present sunset date, the requirement of P.C.C. 14.150.010 can not be met.

7.  The Council wishes to provide Neighborhood Associations that might be affected by re-authorization, re-configuration or expiration of the Prostitution-Free Zones ample time to reflect on the data expected from the Police Bureau.

8.  The legal mechanisms underlying the Prostitution- and Drug-Free Zones are identical.

9.  The City Attorney has advised Council of a need to consider changes to the legal mechanism underlying both the Prostitution- and Drug-Free Zones in light of recent court decisions in Oregon and elsewhere.

10.  In deciding whether to re-authorize the Zones, and for the sake of efficiency, the Council wishes to hear public comment on and deliberate over proposals for changes common to the legal mechanisms of both Zones at the same time.

11.  The public has expressed a greater interest in a public discussion of the Drug-Free Zones than of the Prostitution-Free Zones.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs:

a.  P.C.C. Section 14.150.020 – Designation of Prostitution-Free Zones is amended to read:

A. If the City Council designates an area meeting the criteria of section 14B.30.010 of this code to be a prostitution-free zone, Council shall do so by ordinance. The designation shall be valid for a period of three (3) years and three (3) months.

B. The office of the Chief of Police of the Portland Police Bureau is directed to report to City Council at least ninety (90) days before the end of the three (3) year and three (3) month period, as to whether there is a need to re-authorize or re-configure the prostitution-free zones enumerated in 14B.30.070.

Section 2. The council declares that an emergency exists because delay will result in the loss of a law enforcement tool which is critical to the health, safety and livability of our neighborhoods; therefore, this ordinance shall be in force and effect from and after its passage by council.

Mayor Vera Katz

David L. Woboril:pd

July 30, 2002

BACKING SHEET INFORMATION

AGENDA NO. 958-2002

ORDINANCE/RESOLUTION/COUNCIL DOCUMENT NO. 176781