[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Lancaster as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Juveniles — See Ch. 278.
Nuisances — See Ch. 316.
[Adopted 1-20-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-01]
A. 
This article is a regulatory measure aimed at protecting the health and safety of children in the City of Lancaster from the risk that sexual offenders convicted of an offense against a child may reoffend in locations close to where children congregate. Reducing opportunity and temptation is important to minimizing the risk of reoffense; there is a need to protect children where they congregate or play in public places. Therefore, the City finds and declares that sexual offenders are a serious threat to the public safety of children if regulatory measures are not in place that prohibit their presence in specified areas designated as places children commonly congregate. The City of Lancaster finds and declares that in addition to schools and day-care centers, children congregate or play at child-oriented facilities, such as parks and playgrounds and other facilities.
B. 
It is not the intent of this article to impose a criminal penalty, but rather to serve the City's compelling interest to promote, protect, and improve the health, safety, and welfare of the children of the City by prohibiting convicted sexual offenders from loitering or being present in specified areas around locations where children regularly congregate in concentrated numbers. It is the further intent of this article to recognize that convicted sexual offenders must reenter the community, and the City of Lancaster hereby accepts that it has a responsibility to convicted sexual offenders and the surrounding area municipalities to ensure that, in addition to promoting regulatory measures aimed at protecting children, its regulatory measures are not aimed at prohibiting convicted sexual offenders from being part of this society.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except when the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
DESIGNATED OFFENDER
Any person who is required to register under § 301.45, Wis. Stats.
LOITERING
In addition to the definition found in § 327-8, whether in a group, crowd, or as an individual, to stand idly about, loaf, prowl, congregate, wander, stand, linger aimlessly, proceed slowly or with many stops, to delay or dawdle.
CHILD SAFETY ZONES
A. 
Restricted zones. Any facility used for:
(1) 
A public park, parkland, park facility, or golf course;
[Amended 11-17-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-05]
(2) 
A public swimming pool;
(3) 
A public library;
(4) 
A recreational trail;
(5) 
A public playground;
(6) 
A school for children, including elementary, middle or high schools;
(7) 
Athletic fields used by children;
(8) 
A state-licensed day care center; and
(9) 
Any specialized school for children, including but not limited to a gymnastics academy or dance academy.
B. 
Loiter-free zones: The two-hundred-foot radius surrounding all restricted zones. The distance shall be measured from the closest boundary line of the real property boundary line of the applicable above-enumerated use(s).
A. 
Restricted zones.
(1) 
Restricted zone restrictions. No designated offender shall enter or be physically present upon any real property upon which there exists a facility identified in this article as a restricted zone.
(2) 
Restricted zone restriction exceptions. A designated offender may be physically present on any day or time within a restricted zone if all of the following are present:
(a) 
The designated offender has official business, which is determined by the reasonable person standard; and
(b) 
The designated offender is accompanied by another adult who is not a designated offender.
B. 
Loiter-free zones. It is unlawful for a designated offender to loiter within a restricted zone or loiter-free zone.