Athens city officials presented possible changes to city nuisance party ordinance at Student Senate on Wednesday.
Athens might see a few enhancements to its infamous “nuisance party” ordinance, which allows local law enforcement to approach and shut down a house party considered to be committing one or more city offenses.
At the Student Senate meeting Wednesday evening, members of the Joint Police Advisory Council — including Athens Police Chief Tom Pyle, Ohio University Police Chief Andrew Powers and Athens City Councilman Steve Patterson — gave a presentation explaining the possible changes to the ordinance.
Members of the joint council said they had just finalized their plans for the ordinance earlier that morning.
Pyle, who gave the bulk of the presentation, said that the change would make any first violation to the nuisance party law a civil offense instead of criminal — leaving offenders with a possible $250 fine instead of a criminal record.
“If you weren’t complying with a police request to shut the party down, it could potentially set up a civil fine,” said Councilwoman Chris Knisely. “It would only be the person having the party, so only one person would be cited.”
Pyle mentioned the possible fine could be appealable, allowing offenders to conduct community service instead.
However, after last spring’s much talked about “social host” ordinance, which would have let local law enforcement arrest a person of legal drinking age if it was suspected he or she was allowing an underage person to drink or possess alcohol in his or her home, some might be surprised to see the conversation shift toward the nuisance party law.
But Patterson mentioned at the beginning of the presentation that the social host ordinance policy would have been far too incriminating on the student population, with the penalties being too severe.
Pyle will be giving his presentation again for a city council committees meeting on Sept. 8, Knisely said, in the council chambers at the Athens City Building, 8 E. Washington St.
@MariaDeVito13
md781510@ohio.edu
