HatCityBLOG EXCLUSIVE: Paul Rotello speaks out on parade ordinance fiasco

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview City Councilman Paul Rotello and get his thoughts on Mayor Boughton's recent decision to dissolve the ad-hoc committee that was assigned to look into the problems with the parade ordinance.

Since the issue was first debated over three and a half years ago, Councilman Rotello has been instrumental in countering misinformation with the ordinance as well as detailing the problems with the legislation.

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Part 1: Thoughts on Mayor Boughton dissolving the ordinance ad-hoc committee:



Part 2: Concerns with the ordinance remain unanswered



Part 3: Moving forward

Highlights of the parade ordinance (click here to download the entire ordinance-PDF FILE)

ARTICLE II: PARADES AND PUBLIC ASSEMBLIES

Sec 11-15 (a):

Parade means any march, demonstration, procession, or motorcade, which the parade permit applicant believes will consist of more than twenty-five (25) persons, animals, or vehicles or a combination thereof upon the streets, sidewalks, parks or other public property owned by or under the control of the City of Danbury, for a common purpose as a result of prior planning that interferes with the normal flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic upon said streets, sidewalks, parks, or other public property.

[...]

Sec 11-15 (d):

Public assembly means any meeting, demonstration, picket line, rally or gathering, which the parade permit applicant believes will consist of more than twenty-five (25) persons, held on the streets, sidewalks, parks, or other public property owned by or under the control of the City of Danbury, for a common purpose as a result of prior planning that interferes with the normal flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic upon said streets, sidewalks, parks, or other public property.

[...]


Sec 11-22 Standards for issuance

(a): The Chief of Police shall issue a permit as provided for herin when, from a consideration of the application and from such other informaiton as may otherwise be obtained, he finds that:

(1) The conduct of the parade or public assembly will not substantially interrupt the safe and orderly movement of the other pedestrian or vehicular traffic contiguous to its route or location;

(2) The conduct of the parade or public assembly will not require the diversion of so great a number of City police officers to properly police the line of movement and the areas contiguous thereto as to prevent normal police protection of the City;

(3) The concentration of persons, animals, and vehicles at public assembly points of the parade or public assembly will not unduly interfere with proper fire and police protection of, or ambulance service to, areas contiguous to such public assembly areas;

(4) The conduct of the parade or public assembly is not reasonably likely to cause injury to persons or property;

(5) The parade or public assembly is scheduled to move from its point of origin to its point of termination expeditiously and without unreasonable delays en route;

(6) Adequate sanitation and other required health facilities are or will be made available in or adjacent to any public assembly areas;

(7) There are sufficient parking places near the site of the parade or public assembly to accommodate the number of vehicles reasonably expected;

(8) No parade or public assembly permit application for the same time and location has already been granted or has been received and will be granted;

(9) No parade or public assembly permit application for the same time but a different location has already been granted or has been received and will be granted, and the police resources required for that prior parade or public assembly are so great that in combination with the subsequent proposed application, the resulting deployment of police services would have an immediate and adverse effect upon the welfare and safety of persons and property; and

(10) No event is scheduled elsewhere in the City where the police resources required for that event are so great that the deployment of police services for the proposed parade or public assembly would have an immediate and adverse effect upon the welfare and safety of persons and property.