St. Cloud Council Discusses Sex Offender Residency Ordinance

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- The St. Cloud City Council is working toward the creation of a new ordinance defining where sex offenders would be allowed to live in the city.

During Monday night's meeting, the council held a public hearing and had a lengthy discussion among themselves on the topic.

Council member Karen Larson introduced the item as the Predatory Offender Residence Location Restrictions ordinance.

The original impetus for me to take up this issue was when two Level 3 child offenders, one of whom was a direct contact offender, moved within a block of each other, within a month of each other, right across the street from a St. Cloud school.

The ordinance proposed by Larson would have restricted sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school.

However, Mayor Dave Kleis and several other council members want the ordinance to go further and include active parks as well.

Because the proposed amendment to the ordinance would expand the coverage area, another public hearing will have to be held, so the council voted to table the discussion and a vote with information on an expanded buffer zone.