Council advances ordinance to apply city property exclusion to library after enforcement gap found

The Sweet Home City Council held a first reading and moved forward an ordinance to apply the city property exclusion ordinance to the library, closing an enforcement gap staff identified.

City staff told council that the current city property exclusion ordinance (Sweet Home Municipal Code section 9.20.04) excludes the library and parks; the parks exclusion was intentional because park behavior is governed by a separate ordinance. The library’s exclusion, staff said, stemmed from the existence of a library policy manual that city staff believed covered the same issues. "The problem is is that our police officers can enforce ordinances, but they don't they're not really empowered to enforce a library policy manual," staff said. The proposed ordinance would make the city property exclusion apply to the library so that police could enforce the rules directly.

Councilors asked for clarity about duplicate packet documents and the reading schedule. The council voted to approve the ordinance at first reading and, by unanimous vote, moved the ordinance to the next council meeting for the third reading by title only.

The action updates the scope of the city property exclusion to include library property and refines some awkward language in the ordinance text; the city manager’s packet included a comparison showing the language changes. Council did not report public opposition during the meeting and no amendments were recorded at first reading.