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Council adopts ordinance criminalizing endangering children or dependent adults with controlled substances
Summary
The council adopted Ordinance 3,383 to create a municipal offense for endangering children or dependent adults with a controlled substance; the ordinance creates a gross misdemeanor for knowing/intentionally endangering and a misdemeanor for negligent conduct to allow municipal prosecution when state law is narrower.
City attorney Walker presented Ordinance 3,383, which establishes a municipal offense for endangering children or dependent adults with a controlled substance. Attorney Walker said local police have encountered incidents—citing a case involving a child hospitalized after fentanyl exposure—that current state statutes do not neatly address for municipal prosecution.
"This would allow us to, if we needed to, to prosecute these cases in municipal court," Attorney Walker said, describing two mental‑state tiers: a gross misdemeanor for knowing or intentional conduct and a misdemeanor for negligent conduct that may be easier to prove.
Council member Richards moved adoption and Council President Stevens seconded; the ordinance passed unanimously.
