Public hearing on enhanced enforcement zones draws large turnout; council continues ordinance for more review

Astoria City Council held a public hearing and first reading on June 16 of an ordinance that would establish three “enhanced enforcement zones” and an enforcement mechanism for repeat disruptive behavior. After extensive testimony from businesses, residents and service providers on both sides of the issue, the council voted to continue the item to the next regular meeting for additional review.

City Manager Marion Spence summarized the ordinance as a tool to enforce existing city code and state law in response to complaints about disruptive behavior downtown. Spence said staff’s draft creates three enforcement zones — Uniontown, downtown and Upper Town — and reorganizes offenses into three tiers, with tier 1 covering the most serious crimes (including crimes against persons) and tier 3 covering lower-level offenses such as graffiti or consuming alcohol in public. He told the council the ordinance includes a two‑year sunset clause and that only the Astoria municipal judge would be authorized to issue limited-access orders. Spence said the city was not proposing new criminal laws but a different enforcement mechanism for existing violations.

Chief Stacy Kelly…