June Public Notice Contest Winner

Playing by their own rules

By Carol Conner, The Fairfax Chief

Cleveland parents and guardians of minor children – keep those kids in control, or you could be subject to a $500 fine, court costs, and even face imprisonment.  But – you wouldn’t get to know that unless you attended the Town Council meeting where that ordinance passed – or if you read it here!

Parents would probably like to know that the Town Council passed an ordinance saying that if you don’t control your minor child, and you’ve been notified about it and it happens again, you can be fined $500, court costs, and possible jail time.  

The Cleveland Town Council also passed an ordinance saying they’d only need to publish the title of ordinances if they declare the ordinance an emergency. 

And they’ve declared the parental control ordinance an emergency. 

That means that it takes effect immediately – and you can’t even read about it.  Council members Chris Gabriel, Damon Lester, Leland Davis, Mike Carroll, and Ric Rommel all voted for both ordinances.

State statue 11-14-107 gives the way in which codes and ordinances can be printed by title – but they must also include a summary of the content of the ordinance. 

There are certain things that can be done this way – one is for protecting public health.  But nothing in the ordinance suggests this is for the protection of public health. 

The Pawnee Chief was sent this ordinance, No 1014-660, and told that we were only to publish the title. 

The Cleveland Town Council also considered their town budget – published in the Tulsa World.  Here’s the state statue for publishing legal notices.  

§ 113.Publication in newspaper published in county, but not at county seat

§ 114.Validation of publication elsewhere than at county seat

All publications of notices or advertisements, required by law to be published in a newspaper published in the county seat of any county, which publications or advertisements were made in a newspaper published in the county and complying with the requirements of 25 O.S. 1951, § 106, and at such time there was no legal newspaper published in the county seat, hereby are validated.

Cleveland citizens deserve to know what ordinances their town council passes that affect them. Cleveland town council meetings are on the third Thursday of the month at noon.