Report from Friday's Ad Hoc Committee meeting (by John Liette)

The Greenville City Council Ad Hoc committee met once again to discuss a potential proposal to council to extend current state law so that no one who has to register with the county sheriff as a result of a sexual offense can establish residence within 1500 feet of a school, licensed day care or park. This would be an increase in the current 1000 feet buffer that currently exists per state law.

Chairman Todd Oliver called the meeting to order and began the meeting with an opportunity for members of the public in attendance to address council regarding the issue. This allowed several individuals to speak openly and in some cases emotionally on their feelings on the issue.

Several citizens then spoke, voicing concerns over Good Samaritan Home expanding further and further into the neighborhood, the impact of the population’s sexual offender ratio rising, bringing offenders from all over the state into our community and John Graham generating revenue from it.

Several voices were also heard that oppose the legislation, stating that offenders have a right to return to their homes once serving their jail time. One resident expressed her concern that sexual offenders will be ostracized and physically threatened, pointing out that she believes those who ostracize others will go to hell and that a sexual offender cannot live a closeted life, like that of a homosexual, due to the public nature of the sexual offender registry program.

John Graham, director of Good Samaritan Home, also spoke during the forum to offer a bargain with council. He feels that a lot of the concern is over the potential future expansion of the re-entry program, so he is offering to agree to limit the number of beds in the re-entry program to 6, the current level under contract with the state department of corrections. He feels this would help resolve the issue and help the community feel more at ease. He went on to again assert that if this legislation is enacted, he will have no choice but to pursue litigation, although he does not want to resort to that.

Another resident then pointed out that while 116 Ludlow, the re-entry house as part of Good Samaritan Home, may only have 6 beds, that sex offenders frequently inhabit the low income rental properties that Graham and Good Samaritan Home also own. This resident went on that he has been tracking the sex offenders’ residences via the Sherriff department’s online registry, seeing individuals shuffle between properties over time.

His concern with any deal to restrict growth is that Good Samaritan Home would simply continue to purchase more property to be used as low income rental property, and in turn rent to sexual offenders who have left the re-entry home.

The meeting then commenced with Mayor Bowers providing a map of the proposed change to members of council. This map is to be made public, but Mr. Oliver pointed out there are a few areas unaffected, primarily on the fringes of Greenville.

Councilman Roy Harrison stated that as a police officer, he had observed several sexual offenders offend repeatedly over time and believes that even a 5-7% recidivism rate is too high and risky for our community, and that he would even be supportive of including more points of reference, such as ballparks and other areas children gather.

Councilwoman Kathleen Floyd abstained from giving her opinion of the issues specifically, but did state that everything needs to be taken into consideration and that council needs to decide what is in the best interest of the community, and what will “do the best for the most people.” She went on to assert that it does not matter “what kind of threats or pressure you put [her] under,” joking that her experience of raising 8 children is a testament to her ability to resist pressure.

Mr. Oliver then asked Mr. Graham to clarify a few things regarding the properties he owns. Mr. Graham stated that the low income rentals we originally intended for women and children, but “only single men have applied.” This is why single men take up residence in these houses. He also clarified that they pay $90 per week for a furnished living environment.

Mr. Oliver concluded the meeting, stating that council must take all accounts into consideration and do what is best for the community, pointing out that many other communities have enacted restrictions of 2000 and 2500 feet, but also abstained from making a statement of position on the subject.

The next ad hoc committee meeting was then scheduled for Friday September 17th at 8:00am in council chambers.