The Kyle City Council approved the implementation of a Child Safety Zones Ordinance, effectively regulating the boundaries of where registered sex offenders can reside within city limits.
Under the new ordinance, registered sex offenders who are considered ‘child offenders’ can not live at a residence or regularly visit a premise within 1,000 feet of where children commonly gather such as schools, daycares and parks. These certain offenders also can not decorate or light their homes exteriorly on Halloween. Violators of the ordinance will be charged with a Class C misdemeanor.
However, restrictions do not apply to homeowners or those with a lease agreement in effect before the ordinance’s passing. After amending the initial draft, presented in February, city officials added exceptions to include individuals that were required to register as a sex offender as a minor but were not convicted as an adult; or individuals living in a medical facility such as hospitals or inpatient facilities.
