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Fort Worth council adopts 2,000-foot residency restriction for certain offenders; city attorney says existing residents are grandfathered
Summary
The Fort Worth City Council voted to adopt a distance-based restriction (2,000 feet) affecting where certain offenders may reside. Council members said the change is meant to protect children; the city attorney’s office clarified that current residents are grandfathered and may renew leases.
The Fort Worth City Council voted to adopt a distance-based restriction that prevents certain offenders from moving within 2,000 feet of specified locations, council members announced after debate and public comment.
Council member Lauersdorf, who spoke in favor of the measure, said the change is intended to protect children: "I think this is about protecting our kids," she said, adding that if the change prevents even one future victim it is "completely worth it." Opponents in public comment urged more evidence that the change is necessary and raised concerns about the ordinance’s practical effects on people who already live near affected sites.
Leticia Coleman Brown of the litigation division in the city attorney’s office clarified how the ordinance will be enforced: current residents within the new restricted zones would be grandfathered and may renew leases at their present location, she said. "If you decide to move to another apartment complex or another house...then the ordinance would kick in and you would not be allowed," Coleman Brown explained.
Council members debated the policy’s balance between public safety and housing stability. Lauersdorf and others stressed the protection of victims and children, while public commenters, including Adrian Smith, asked council members to explain why the ordinance change is necessary and raised concerns about whether the measure disproportionately affects people in temporary or subsidized housing.
Following discussion, the council moved, seconded and voted; the presiding officer announced, "Motion carries." The ordinance was approved and will take effect according to the city’s standard adoption procedures.
What’s next: City staff indicated that implementation details and any administrative rules will be addressed following adoption; the city attorney’s clarification on grandfathering provides immediate guidance for current tenants.
