Oakland creates picketing ordinance

Oakland Police Chief John Peek isn’t anticipating any pickets or protests in the town — but he wants some rules in place in case they do occur.

“This came about because of situations last year,” Peek said at the May 25 Oakland Town Commission meeting. “Yes, we do have to prepare for this — but one good note, during last summer’s protests, there was a protest in every single Central Florida town … except Oakland.

The Town Commission passed the first reading of an ordinance that sets guidelines for members of the public who want “to peacefully assemble, protest and exercise their constitutional rights,” Peek said.

The ordinance would keep protesters and picketers who are targeting certain citizens or officials at their residences back at least 150 feet from the property line.

“Experience has shown that if picketing is right on the right-of-way, negative actions tend to happen there,” Peek said. “A hundred and 150 feet puts us in between them. … They will be on the sidewalk or on the street. Will they be on someone else’s right-of-way? Probably. The whole point of this is to keep the protesters and picketers away from the houses themselves.”

NO SCHOOL DROP-OFF, NO PARKING SIGNS

The town has posted “no parking” and “no school drop-off” signs in the vicinity of Oakland Avenue Charter School for several years, but the signs are routinely disregarded, said Public Works Director Mike Parker. Staff has spoken with residents to gather comments and suggestions regarding the signs and prepared a new section in the Code of Ordinances to deal specifically with the requirements.

“This puts teeth into the ‘no parking’ and ‘no drop-off’ signs,” Parker said.

The commission approved the first reading of the ordinance, stating it is necessary for enforcement purposes.

IN OTHER NEWS

• Commissioners approved an amendment to an ordinance to correct a scrivener’s error that resulted in a higher impact fee in a 2018 impact fee study. The 2018 update reflected a “per student” impact unit rather than a unit of “per 1,000 square feet.”

• The commission approved the addition of a new section to the health and sanitation code pertaining to land clearing and burning.

In a report to the commission, Town Planner Jay Marder wrote: “Given the anticipated additional land-clearing activities anticipated by the town’s growth and development, a proposed permit requirement for land-clearing burns has been drafted to give the town control of such activities within the town limits.”

Developers will have to follow all U.S. Forest Service requirements but also will have to obtain a permit through the town.

• Commissioners approved multiple authorization items on the consent agenda, including one allowing the town manager to sign a one-year lease for newly available office space for the Human Resources Department at a cost of $500 monthly, as well as one giving him permission to sign a three-year lease-purchase agreement for 194 Dell laptops.