STANTON : City Delays Vote on Party, Camping Laws

Because of legal questions, the City Council this week postponed voting on an ordinance banning so-called “flyer” parties and one banning camping.

City Atty. Thomas W. Allen drew up an ordinance that would outlaw residential parties where the hosts charge admission. He said the law would give the Sheriff’s Department, which provides police services to the city, additional power to close down the parties, where party-goers often vandalize property and create disturbances.

The parties are advertised through printed flyers and often draw large crowds. The Fullerton City Council outlawed such parties last fall, saying they are dangerous and often the scene of underage drinking.

Cheri Rumler-Upright, a resident, told the Stanton City Council that Allen’s proposed ordinance was not sufficient because the words “flyer party” did not appear in its text.

Allen explained that the action of distributing flyers is constitutionally protected and could not be banned. But Councilman Sal Sapien said he would like to see the words somewhere in the ordinance, so the city would be “seeming to prohibit any kind of flyer party, though we are not.”

Allen said the ban on charging admission at residential parties would curtail flyer parties, but he added that he will try to insert the words flyer party into the ordinance. The council will consider the revised ordinance in two weeks.

“I don’t care if they charge admission or not. I just don’t want flyer parties,” Rumler-Upright said after the meeting.

In response to the council’s concerns that the new Civic Center would attract homeless people at night, Allen drew up an ordinance that would ban camping in the city.

However, Allen told the council that closing hours established at the Civic Center should keep people from spending the night there. He said the Sheriff’s Department would rather use state trespass laws than a city ordinance to keep the homeless from camping out at the Civic Center.

The cities of Fullerton, Orange and Santa Ana are being sued over similar anti-camping ordinances.

“If we have closing hours for each night, why do we need this ordinance?” asked Councilman William C. Estrada.

Councilman Sapien said he would like to hear Sheriff’s Capt. Robert Eason’s opinion of the ordinance. Eason serves as police chief of Stanton. However, since Eason was not at Tuesday’s meeting, the council decided to delay a vote for two weeks.