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Proposed curfew ordinance (24-08) prompts heated debate and public comment
Summary
Commissioners introduced Ordinance 24-08 to clarify park hours, ban unsanctioned fires and alcohol in parks, and establish a curfew (proposed 11 p.m. school nights, midnight weekends). The draft was presented for public comment and will be circulated for review; the item generated extended public testimony and disputes over the facts of a recent park incident.
The Daggett County Commission introduced Ordinance 24-08, which would set park hours and establish a county curfew intended to address recent unsanctioned camping, loud noise and underage alcohol incidents at the county park. Speaker 7 presented background, describing a recent incident in which juveniles camped on the pickleball court, a fire was reported in the court surface, and there was alcohol present. Speaker 7 said county park rules now are unclear in some language and proposed clarifying park hours (noting many jurisdictions set parks to close at 10 p.m.), prohibiting open fires except where allowed, and including parental responsibility provisions.
The proposed curfew language would set a straight curfew for everyone — Speaker 7 described a proposal for 11:00 p.m. on school nights and midnight on weekends — with exceptions for parents, travel to/from school or work and sanctioned events. Speaker 7 said the draft follows state law and county statutes commonly used in other jurisdictions. He said the ordinance is not being passed immediately but will be circulated for community comment and returned for further discussion.
Public comment and back-and-forth at the meeting became contentious. Speaker 5 alleged that a county employee was "planted" to video the incident and challenged the sheriff’s handling; Speaker 7 and others denied any organized planting and defended the sheriff's response as a reaction to citizen complaints. There were conflicting accounts about the size and duration of the fire: Speaker 7 described a photo showing a three‑foot flame on the pickleball court; Speaker 5 said their video shows a much smaller flame and disputed other characterizations. The sheriff and other staff said deputies responded after a concerned citizen called dispatch; deputies warned the group about the hour and did not arrest anyone.
Speaker 8 (maintenance) said he was at the park changing waterlines and did not intend to spy; he said he values the community and is trying to help. The discussion included legal questions from Speaker 3 about harassment and targeting language in the draft statute; Speaker 7 said those definitions would be addressed in a later legal review.
The commission did not vote on the ordinance. Speaker 7 said the draft will be posted for public review, community comment will be accepted, and the commission will discuss it again in the next scheduled meeting. No ordinance text was adopted at this meeting.
Quotes from the meeting include Speaker 7 saying, "Parks close at 10:00. Every department I've ever worked for ... parks close at 10:00," and Speaker 7 noting the draft is "not passing today" and will be circulated for comment. Speaker 5 said, "The dispatch call that came through... was a guy planted in the garden." Speaker 7 responded that "a concerned citizen sitting watching criminal behavior... it would have been irresponsible for that person to just ignore it."
