By Pat Jenkins
The Dispatch
Repeat offenders can get in deeper trouble if they violate the Town of Eatonville’s nuisance and public behavior laws more than twice.
Under changes adopted July 10 by the Town Council, third-time violations of the junk-vehicle ordinance and rules for public parks and trails may result in jail time for the offender.
Previously, all such infractions were punishable through fines as civil penalties, much like traffic tickets. Now, the first two offenses will be considered civil infractions, carrying possible fines of $125 for the first one and $25 for the second. But the third will be charged as a misdemeanor with more teeth in the possible penalties.
Misdemeanors, while not considered serious criminal offenses, can be punished by fines or short jail sentences. The maximums are $1,000 or 90 days.
Here are the ways town residents can run afoul of the junker, park and trail regulations:
• One or more junk vehicles stored on private property is a public nuisance. The registered owner of such vehicles and the legal owner of the property (if different people) would face the same penalties for allowing the vehicle to be there. Exceptions are made for vehicles parked inside a garage or some other way so they aren’t seen from neighboring property, for restoration on up to two vehicles per lot, and for licensed repair businesses and vehicle dealers.
• In parks, there can be no excessive noise, profanity, vandalism, smoking marijuana, tobacco or electronic cigarettes, dogs that aren’t on a leash (except at Smallwood Park, which is designated as an off-leash area), shooting of guns or fireworks, drinking alcohol, or (unless with a permit) selling or advertising. Also, skateboarding is allowed only at the skateboard facility at Mlll Pond Park, and bicycles and inline skates are banned from parks but allowed on designated trails.
• On trails, only non-motorized uses are permitted (walking or jogging, bicycling and riding horses), and no one doing those things can go faster than 10 miles per hour. Also, the same general rules that apply to parks apply to trails, too.
The only change made by the council in the regulations besides stiffer penalties is the hours the public can use parks. They’re now closed earlier – at dusk, instead of 30 minutes after dusk, as they were previously.
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