HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-17-2017 Item 14, WatsonCOUNCIL MEETING:
ITEM N0.: +cM Imo/ JAN 13 2017
From: Tracy L. Watson
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2017 9:02 AM
To: E-mail Council Website <emailcouncil slocit .or,>
Cc: Riley E. Nilsen < ; Marcy Maloney < ; Janet Tarlton
< ; Lindsey A. Lee < ; Michelle Crawford <
Subject: ASI Board of Directors Resolution #17-02
Good morning Mayor Harmon and City Council Members,
The attached letter is being sent on behalf of Riley Nilsen, Chair of the ASI Board of Directors.
Thank you.
ASI Student Government
Associated Students, Inc. I California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
Associated Students, Inc.
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
asi.calpoly.edu
December 12, 2016
City of San Luis Obispo
Attn: Mayor Harmon and City Council Members
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Dear Mayor Harmon and City Council Members,
My name is Riley Nilsen and I am currently serving as the Chair of the ASI Board of
Directors at Cal Poly. The ASI Board of Directors is made up of 27 elected
members that represent the official voice of Cal Poly students. On November 30,
2016, the ASI Board of Directors at Cal Poly voted unanimously to approve
Resolution #17-02: To Remove Noise Control from Proposed Safety Enhancement
Zone Amendment. The purpose of this resolution is to show student opinion to
eliminate noise control from the proposed safety enhancement zone amendment to
the City of San Luis Obispo municipal code.
With the passage of this resolution, board members ask that City Council members
exclude noise violations from the double fine period during the St. Patrick's Day
safety enhancement zone amendment at the January 17, 2017 San Luis Obispo City
Council meeting. ASI Student Government members will be in attendance at the City
Council Meeting to answer any questions.
Please find attached the full language of Resolution #17-02. We would appreciate
your support of the Cal Poly student voice.
Respectfully,
Riley Nilsen
Chair, ASI Board of Directors 2016-2017
Enclosures
ASI will be every student's connection to the ultimate college experience.
Associated Students, Inc.
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo
Resolution #17-02
RESOLUTION TO REMOVE NOISE CONTROL FROM PROPOSED SAFETY
ENHANCEMENT ZONE AMENDMENT
WHEREAS: The ASI Board of Directors serves as the official voice of over
20,000 students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and
WHEREAS: For the remainder of this document, the event commonly
known as "St. Fratty's Day" shall be referred to as "St.
Patrick's Day Celebrations", because it has been an event
facilitated and attended by a variety of individuals with and
without Greek affiliation, and
WHEREAS: The "St. Patrick's Day Celebrations" incident of 2015 was a
culmination of offenses outlined in San Luis Obispo Municipal
Code 9.22.020, which states:
A.Any violation of designated sections of the San Luis
Obispo Municipal Code that is committed within an area
that has been designated by the city council as a safety
enhancement zone, and during the time that designation is
effective, shall be subject to a fine that is twice the amount
of the fine specified for the designated municipal code
sections, up to a maximum of one thousand dollars.
B. Safety Enhancement Zone Violations. Fines for violations
committed in the safety enhancement zone shall apply to
the following provisions: Chapter 9.041 (possession of open
containers or consumption of alcoholic beverages in public
places), Chapter 9.052(hosting a gathering where
underage persons consume alcohol), Chapter 9.123 (noise
control), Chapter 9.134 (unruly gatherings),
Chapter 9.166 (dangerous and deadly weapons), and
Chapter 9.206 (urination in public). A separate offense shall
be deemed to have been committed whenever a person
repeats the act that constitutes the violation. (Ord. 1548
§ 2, 2010)"
San Luis Obispo Municipal Code
Chapter 9.04: http://www.codepublishing.com/CA/SanLuisObispo/html/SanLuisObispo09/SanLuisObispoO9O4.html#9.04
Z Chapter 9:05 http://www.codepublishing.com/CA/SanLuisObispo/html/SanLuisObispoO9/SanLuisObispoO9O5.html#9.05
3 Chapter 9.12 http://www,codepublishing.com/CA/SanLuisobispo/html/SanLuisObispo09/SenLuisOblspoO9l2.html#9.12
' Chapter 9.13 http://www.codepublishing.com/CA/SanLuisObispo/html/SanLuisObispo09/SanLuisObispo0913.html#9.13
5 Chapter 9.16 http://www.codepublishing.corn/CA/SanLuisobispo/html/SanLuisObi5po09/5anLuisOblspoO9l6.html#9.16
6Chapter9.20 http://www. codepublishing.com/CA/SanLuisObispo/html/San LuisObispo09/SanLuisObispo0920.htm109.20
WHEREAS: The amendment to section 9.22.040 of the City of San Luis
Obispo Municipal Code (Safety Enhancement Zones) is
intended to prevent a specific type of event - one on the
caliber of the "St. Patrick's Day Celebrations" incident of 2015
- from occurring, thereby ensuring a safer public environment
for the community, and
WHEREAS: The San Luis Obispo Municipal Code defines a General Noise
Violation as the making and/or continuance of any noise,
beyond one's property line, which disturbs the peace and
quiet of any neighborhood or which causes any discomfort or
annoyance to any reasonable person of normal sensitivity in
the areal, and
WHEREAS: The "St. Patrick's Day Celebrations" incident of 2015, which
warranted the proposal of the safety enhancement zone
amendment, could never be classified as only a Noise
Violation (which, according to the definition of a Noise
Violation stated above, is a disturbance rather than a safety
hazard) - it was an accumulation of the other offenses and
behaviors listed above, and
WHEREAS: The students of Cal Poly recognize that the atmosphere
created by the "St. Patrick's Day Celebrations" of 2015 was
unacceptable and posed a safety risk to the San Luis Obispo
community as a whole, and
WHEREAS: Excluding Noise Violations from the Safety Enhancement
Plan would not diminish the effectiveness of said plan for its
proposed purpose of preventing environments of the caliber
of "St. Patrick's Day Celebrations" of 2015, and
WHEREAS: The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life requires Greek
organizations to register events with the University and
outline factors including but not limited to: guest lists, risk
management plans, sober monitor lists, etceteras, thereby
holding students accountable and responsible for maintaining
safe and orderly events, and
WHEREAS: If Greek organizations are able to host events that are
registered and approved by the Office of Fraternity and
Sorority Life - without the risk of receiving a doubled fine for
a Noise Violation - they will be more inclined to host safe,
orderly events, which will disperse the concentration of
7 San Luis Obispo Municipal Code, Chapter 9.12.040
9 "Party Registration and Deadlines of the Interfraternity Council, the Panhellenic Council, and the United
Fraternity and Sorority Council at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo" http://content-calpoly-
edu.s3. a mazona ws_co m/dean ofstudents/1/documents/greek/Party%20Registration%20Policy.pdf
RESOLVED: The City of San Luis Obispo Police Department provide the
ASI Board of Directors a thorough report during Spring
Quarter to state the number of citations, concentrated party
locations, ambulance calls, noise complaints versus other
offenses, and pros/cons of the safety enhancement zone
amendment, in order to properly assess its effectiveness,
furthermore, be it
students to said events, thereby mitigating the likelihood of
students congregating in public places (historically Hathway
Avenue), and consequently preventing danger to the
community, and
WHEREAS:
"St. Patrick's Day Celebrations" in 2016 were much more
orderly than in 2015, and a major difference between these
years was, in 2016, Greek organizations that were affiliated
with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life collaborated on
and executed a plan to concurrently host registered events
when "St. Patrick's Day Celebrations" were expected to
occur, as opposed to when the incident of 2015 occurred,
when Greek organizations were prohibited to plan or register
events due to a Greek -wide social probation at the time, and
WHEREAS:
Greek organizations are merely an example of the success of
the concept of dispersing celebrations to multiple controlled
events, however, it is applicable to non-Greek entities as well,
and
WHEREAS:
If any of these events became a credible risk to the safety of
the community, like the "St. Patrick's Day Celebrations"
incident of 2015 (consisting of aforementioned behaviors),
then said events would fall under the purview of the Safety
Enhancement Plan, rendering the plan completely effective
for its intended purpose, and
WHEREAS:
As of 2016, according to Cal Poly University Housing,
approximately 13,000 Cal Poly students (65%) live off
campus, and will be affected by this amendment to the city
municipal code, therefore, be it
RESOLVED:
The Cal Poly ASI Board of Directors encourages San Luis
Obispo City Council to consider this compromise to exclude
Noise Control from the St. Patrick's Day Safety Enhancement
Period in order to both mitigate the risk of danger to the
community, as well as instill trust in the student population to
host safe events, furthermore, be it
RESOLVED: The City of San Luis Obispo Police Department provide the
ASI Board of Directors a thorough report during Spring
Quarter to state the number of citations, concentrated party
locations, ambulance calls, noise complaints versus other
offenses, and pros/cons of the safety enhancement zone
amendment, in order to properly assess its effectiveness,
furthermore, be it
RESOLVED: This resolution be sent to San Luis Obispo City Council, the
San Luis Obispo Police Department, President Armstrong,
and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
Certified as the true and correct copy,
in witness thereof, I have set my hand
and Seal of the San Luis Obispo Cal
Poly Associated Students, Inc. this
(O day of_Cec'elfi , 2016.
Attest:
ASI Secretary
Authored By:
ADOPTED at the regular meeting of
the Board of Directors at San Luis
Obispo Cal Poly Associated Students,
Inc. this 30 day of nJ0Vpm1er2016.
Signed -
ASI Chair of the Board
`
i nedf:
ASI President
Kevin Scott, College of Engineering, ASI Board of Directors
Rita Elfarissi, College of Liberal Arts, ASI Board of Directors
Alice Read, College of Business, ASI Board of Directors