Santa Maria Times 2-6-2007

Grover Beach

City Council adopts sex offenders ordinance

Grover Beach is the second city in San Luis Obispo County to add teeth to state restrictions for registered sex offenders and where they can reside within city limits.

The Grover Beach City Council Monday night unanimously adopted and approved the second reading of the ordinance to prohibit registered sex offenders, whose victims were children, from living within 1,000 feet of schools, parks and state-licensed daycare centers.

The city ordinance restricts the offenders from living within certain areas of the city even after they've completed all terms and conditions of their parole.

Pismo State Beach was added to the list of areas that would lie within the zones initiated by the city.

Offenders already living within city limits will be grandfathered in under the new ordinance until they move, city officials said. California voters also passed Proposition 83, also known as Jessica's Law, in November 2006, which also requires paroled sex offenders to wear electronic tracking devices for life and prohibits them from living within 2,000 feet of schools, parks and other places children congregate.

Currently, two cases are pending where federal judges are being asked to interpret the proposition.

A preliminary map identifying Costa Bella Park, Dandy Lion Day Care Center, Trouville Community Center, Grover Heights Elementary, Grover Beach Elementary, Ramona Garden Park, Mentone Basin Park, 16th Street Park, South County Skate Park, Hero Community Part, Golden West Community Park, Ramona Gaden Park Center and North Oceano Elementary will be considered for final approval at the council's March 5 meeting, according to city staff.