In Alamosa if a person intentionally spits at another person, that could be grounds for third-degree assault under a new municipal ordinance advanced at Wednesday’s city council meeting.
Spitting at a police officer is a violation of state law. Alamosa wants to extend it to any person who is on the receiving end of someone’s spit, if done intentionally.
“Does Council wish to add an ordinance provision defining deliberately spitting on someone as a form of assault?” was the question for the municipal governing board at Wednesday’s meeting.
City Councilman Mike Carson said it was a “no brainer” and motioned to advance the municipal ordinance to a public hearing on March 18.
In other votes:
- Final approval was given to an “automated vehicle identification system” that will help Alamosa police enforce speed limits in the city limits. The camera technology automatically detects and captures speeding violations and red light violations. Police Chief George Dingfelder has been highlighting the high volume of speeding through Alamosa and the number of traffic citations police officers issue in a year. Alamosa PD has been conducting traffic studies to identify the intersections best known for speeding and motorists running red lights. Those intersections are primarily along Sixth Street, Main Street, State Avenue and Craft Avenue. Alamosa police will use the technology initially for speed enforcement and then red light cameras at certain intersections, Dingfelder said.
- Prohibiting parking in pedestrian paths, bicycle paths and golf cart paths was adopted. The city said it wants to make it clear that vehicles can’t park in these pathways.
- Preliminary approval and a public hearing was set for a municipal ordinance limiting parking of vehicles on city streets, which includes in front of homes, to 72 hours and changing the time for declaring a vehicle abandoned to a week from 48 hours. A public hearing will be held March 18. The city calls it a revamping of its parking ordinance.