The Bristol Village Board this week added or updated a number of ordinances — and thanks to one trustee especially — in the process had some discussion of the proper role of local government in regulating behavior.
On the agenda was consideration of ordinances on:
- Unregistered motor vehicle prohibited on streets.
- Graffiti.
- Possession or Use of Intoxicating Substances or Intoxicating Substance Paraphernalia: Posession of Injection Implement.
- Updating ordinances to align with recent state law changes.
- Prohibiting Synthetic Cannabidnoid (marijuana).
Trustee John McCabe questioned the need for the action, citing that the village already had such laws or that such behavior was already prohibited by state or federal law. He also suggested that government is becoming too intrusive on people’s behavior.
“We keep getting these goofy little ordinances taking things away from people,” McCabe said.
Sometimes local ordinances do mirror state statutes, but that sometimes is required to make them effective in local jurisdictions, Kerkman said. Having an offense able to be prosecuted as a local ordinance also allows penalties and fines to go to the village instead of the county.
“By adopting these ordinances, we are in control,” said Trustee Colleen Fisch.
The board eventually considered and voted on each ordinance individually. There was some discussion of each one, but eventually all passed unanimously except the prohibiting synthetic marijuana ordinance, which passed, with McCabe voting against.
The ordinance regarding possession of drug paraphernalia also was amended to allow syringes and similar equipment for the care of animals. Medical need for syringes for humans was already allowed under the ordinance as proposed.