ORDINANCE NO. 3201

 

 

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 24, SECTION 12 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO

(DISORDERLY HOUSE)

 

RECITALS: Section 24-12 of the City of Grand Junction Code of Ordinances currently provides that: It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly, intentionally, or recklessly keep any disorderly house, which term is defined as any structure and/or adjoining property or both which is used, owned, kept or controlled by such person within this city upon or within which any drunkenness, quarrelling, fighting or riotous or disorderly conduct is permitted, allowed, occasioned, encouraged or suffered. The public policy behind the ordinance is to prevent parties in which there is underage drinking, as well as other acts which are injurious to the persons at the party, as well as nearby residents of the area. Currently, the ordinance provides that a person keeps disorderly house, if, among other things, there is “drunkenness.” When a police officer is responding to a loud party, there are usually many people there, prohibiting the officer from making an accurate determination of whether persons at the party are “drunk.” Amending the ordinance to provide for an offense of Keeping Disorderly House when there is a party where underage drinking would occur is in line with the public policy behind the ordinance.

 

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAND JUNCTION THAT:

 

Section 24-12 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Grand Junction, be amended as follows:

 

Sec. 24-12 Keeping Disorderly House.

 

 It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly, intentionally, or recklessly keep any disorderly house, which term is defined as any structure and/or adjoining property or both which is used, owned, kept or controlled by such person within this city upon or within which any drinking of alcohol by a person under the age of twenty-one (21), quarrelling, fighting or riotous or disorderly conduct is permitted, allowed, occasioned, encouraged or suffered.

 

Introduced this 20th day of October 1999.

 

Passed and adopted this 3rd day of November, 1999.

 

 

 

 

 

             /s/ Gene Kinsey      

             President of the Council

ATTEST:

 

 

 

/s/ Stephanie Nye      

City Clerk